A roster of world cities

Amsterdam is the capital of The Netherlands. The city is located in the densely populated western seaboard and is the largest and most important financial and cultural centre. The wide economic base is well linked to the continent. The historical centre is unique. However, Amsterdam lacks land suitable for urban development within the municipality. Valuable ecological features also constrain growth and limit the number of spatial alternatives. The main planning issues are to intensify urban land use together with improved spatial quality, and to find a new regional perspective with a fair distribution of housing and employment and improved accessibility. © 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved