Josien Gankema
Dutch Housing (Dwelling)
Active Amsterdam: The Blue Stairs – The City as a healthy living environment
The health of cities’ inhabitants has always been a leading theme for designers of cities. Urban designers and architects have played an important role in protecting our cities from infectious diseases in the past and with growing knowledge of the definition of health, they now face a new challenge in terms of urban health: the complete physical and mental well-being of city-dwellers. The healthy city of the future is a city that contributes to a healthy lifestyle; it is an active city, with space to move, play, meet and breathe. ‘Blue Stairs’ is a study of how the design of a living environment can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Inspired by studies such as the ‘Beweeglogica’, by BETA office for architecture, this dwelling complex is designed with health as its guiding theme. The design not only takes care of its inhabitants and the residents of its close surroundings; it also triggers passers-by.
More information
- Master thesis 'Active Amsterdam'