MVRDV - UrbanismUrbanism

smart & livable cities

urbanism

We believe in the value of urban density to prevent the land-consuming sprawl of cities around the world. To us everything is urbanism, and at the same time urbanism is a device that allows society to develop further, becoming better, greener, and more social. This requires stamina: we can engage long-term, sometimes for more than two decades, with a place we are making. Our plans are flexible in order to allow for the change that this ever-so-slow discipline requires.

Working within the sometimes-difficult demands of urban density, we also believe in a number of softer principles for creating a quality living environment: diversity, freedom, sustainability, happiness, and communal space. We apply these principles to masterplans at all scales, from neighbourhood developments to entire cities.

In proposals such as our plan for Grand Paris, we explored the boundaries of density, trying to incorporate the requirements of Nicolas Sarkozy’s Grand Paris plan into as little area as possible—as we put it, we aimed to find the ‘Grand Paris Plus Petit’.

In projects such as our masterplans for Bordeaux Bastide Niel, Nieuw Leyden and the Waterwijk neighbourhood of Ypenburg, diversity was paramount; our masterplans introduced rules that ensured the liveability and economic viability of these developments, while encouraging experimentation by the architects involved in realizing buildings on the sites. The result is neighbourhoods that are cohesive, yet lively.

Meanwhile, Almere Oosterwold is a radical experiment in freedom. What are the fewest rules we can impose upon a masterplan while still ensuring a cohesive result? With just a small number of rules, comparable to a game, regarding land use and infrastructure requirements, the residents of Almere Oosterwold have been given the freedom (and the responsibility) they need to build their neighbourhood themselves.

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