The Netherlands: Adaptation of the Carefully Planned Structure

The facility structure in post-war areas of The Netherlands is probably one of the most intricate in the world, with facilities clustered in neighbourhood units that are functionally ordered across the cities. However, developments in society threatened the viability of the hierarchic structure and forced the adaptation or dismantling of neighbourhood centres at the base of the pyramid, a process still continuing. Economic viability competes with the social desirability of a neighbourhood centre as a heart of the neighbourhood.