Connectivity Hotspots

The 10 hotspots of Amsterdam mentioned before are further defined in this blog. It is easiely shown that Central Station and the Zuidas are the best connected spots of Amsterdam. On the maps are a few items shown. The stronger the relation of the hotspots with these items the better the connectivity. The different items are:

1. Number of connected hotspots
2. Number of connected trainports
3. Number of metrolines
4. Number of bus- and tramlines
5. Connected to Schiphol?

The 11 hotspots can be seperated in three categories:

1. Central spots: Centraal Station, Centrum, Meseumplein
2. Central Ring (near the centre): Admiraal de Ruijterweg, Amstelveense weg, Amstelstation, Zuidas, Sloterdijk.
3. Sub-urbian areas: Buikslotermeerplein, Station Bijlmer, Amstelveen

If we look at al 11 hotspot independently we see the following

CENTRAL SPOTS

Centraal Station: Central station is without doubt the best connected spot in Amsterdam. All 10 other hotspots are reachable in one step by the use of different transport methods, all 5 trainports are within a direct connection, 3 of 4 metrolines start at Central Station, 44 bus and tramlines and a direct trainconnection to Schiphol. You can easially reach 'Centraal Station' from every point in the city and you can get to almost everywhere from 'Central Station'.

Centrum: The 'Centrum' is in this case defined as the mainstream shopping area and located around the Dam-sqaure. Physically it is directly connected to the 'Centraal Station' and therefor inhabited by a mixture of groups. It is easially accesible area for everyone, therefore Central living Amsterdammers buying their clothes and Japanese tourist buying souvenirs are all together pushed through the shoppingstreets. The connectivity is foccussed on these two groups. A direct link to 'Centraal Station' for the tourist and a tight network around the City Centre with some sprouts to outer living areas. We can count the connection to 7 other hotspots, 3 trainports, 1 metroline and 15 tram- and buslines.

Museumplein: The 'Museumplein' is one of the major touristic places in Amsterdam. The van Gogh museum, het Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk museum are all located around the square. People you will meet here are besides the rich shopping in the PC-Hoofdstraat and people living in the neighbourhood for a greater part tourists. This is reflected in the connectivitymap: there is a strong ax towards 'Centraal Station', a direct connection to Schiphol and a tight network in the historical centrre. 8 other hotspots, mostly central and ring central spots can be reached, 4 of the 5 trainports are directly linked, the future metroline and 17 tram and buslines stop on the Museumplein. The strong line in the direction of Amstelveen seams a little strange. Why chosing Amstelveen above the Bijlmer or Sloten.

CENTRAL RING

Admiraal de Ruijterweg: This hotspot is actually very localized and can at this point hardly be called a hotspot. But because of it's direct link to 7 other hotspots of witch 4 are trainports too it still is a beautiful link between the historic centre of Amsterdam and the Slotervaart sub-urb/ Station Sloterdijk. A link to the metronet and to Schiphol is still missing.

Amstelveenseweg: A hotspot caracterised by it's strong axes into central Amsterdam and Amstelveen and it's nearby location to the Zuidas. It is not a very tight network but it is widespread and connected to 4 of the 5 trainports. Connected to 8 other hotspots, 4 trainports, 12 tram and buslines and a direct link to Schiphol the only real thing that is missing is a metro-connection.

Amstelstation: This hotspot is a fairly well connected hotspot. With its connection to the Bijlmer, Amstelveen and Amsterdam-Noord it serves all different sub-urbs of Amsterdam except Sloten. There is a good connection to the central ring and the Central Station. But the rest of the historic Centre has a worse connectivity to the Amstelstation. It's figures are rather impressive: 9 hotspotconnections, all 5 trainports, 3 metrolines, 10 tram and buslines and of course a direct connection to Schiphol.

Zuid-as: The new multinational hotspot of Amsterdam. Buildings are popping out of the ground. The new metroline (Noord-Zuid lijn) has it's starting point here. The worlds greatest architects are hired to create a high-end image of marble, glass, enormous hight and vast spaces. It's figures can compede with those of 'Centraal Station'. 10 hotspot connections, 5 trainports, 3 metrolines, 10 tram and buslines and a connection to Schiphol. Because of it does not serve so many tram and buslines it's network is not so tight but it is widespread.

Sloterdijk: Sloterdijk is the port to the harbour area and to the sub-urbs Sloten and Osdorp. You see this reflected in the connectivity map which has a clear tendency towards the east of Amsterdam. It's connection to the city centre is not so good but because of the metroline there is a connection to the Bijlmer and the train contributes to a strong link to Schiphol. It's figures are not to bad. 8 hotspotconnections, 5 trainports, 1 metroline, 20 bus and tramlines and the before mentioned connection to Schiphol.

SUB URBIAN AREAS

Buikslotermeerplein: This is the central area of Amsterdam Noord, a suburb on the Northbanks of the waterfront IJ. Because you have to cross the waterfront before you enter the rest of the city the public transport is mainly focussed on busses. A tight network on the North side of the IJ is visible a very well chosen set of connection points is visible on the south side. Centraal Station, Schiphol, Amstelstation, Station Sloterdijk, Zuidas and Station Bijlmer are all reachable from Buikslotermeerplein. This result in the following figures: 5 hotspots, 5 trainports, 1 metroline, 19 tram- and buslines, and the connection to Schiphol.

Station Bijlmer: One of the most discussed sub-urbs of Amsterdam, not only because of it's architeture but not less because of all the social problems of the past. Due to new urban and architectural inputs this area is becomming more and more a well loved place to live, work and enjoy. The connectivity map show an other image. It's transport network is mainly foccused on the surrounding area only the metrolines and the train connect this part of the city to the centre of Amsterdam. This results in the following figures: 6 hotspots, 5 trainports, 2 metrolines 15 tram- and buslines and a direct connection to Schiphol with the train.

Amstelveen: The once seperate municipality of Amstelveen got eaten by the city of Amsterdam but flourished because of it too. It's connectivity map shows a very strong link to the citycentre of and a very dense network in the south of Amsterda. It's figures are: 8 hotspots, 4 trainports, 12 tram- and buslines and a direct connection to Schiphol.

Network a basic need of the DigiNomads life?

SAT 12 June 2010:
Today is like that kind of day that everything seamed to have slowed down. It was a late night yesterday, promised Jake to deliver him the printable pdf this morning so he has enough time to prepare the presentation scheduled for Monday. The film night of Wednesday started to feel less and less appropriate. Although the late hour of yesterday it was an early morning today. I woke up and fall a sleep on the same day and so I felt in all the parts of my body. I got out of my cabin and although I was standing straight up it felt like I was crawling out of bed towards the refreshing room. Some water splashing in my face helped to get my brain worked on acceptable speed. First thing to do was grab a strong coffee at the nearest coffee bar. While walking my legs got straitened out and I was feeling my feet again. Suddenly a slowed down because of the smell of fresh coffee. I entered a satelite GlobSpot named SWITCH, it struck my how crowded it already was. And everyone was al lot more awake than I was, running in and out with his cup of coffee. Time to check my e-mail. On my PDA I already saw there were some documents send to my but I prefer to read them on my laptop. The welcoming ‘pling’ of the WIFI received on my laptop made my somehow finally wake up. And when I checked the time for the first time this morning. I suddenly perfectly understood why it was so crowded already. I forgot to change the time of my old but definitely fashionable watch after my flight of yesterday. I had slept trough my alarm clock. The minutes on my watch made sense but the hours told a different story. The planned meeting would start in about 15 min. Only way to get there in time is to take a cab. The most expensive way to travel but therefore the fastest. My speed went up and I just made it in time. The rest of the day my travel speed only seamed to accelerate in contrary to my brainpower getting slower and slower. At 13:00 it really was powernap time. Speed on zero, brainpower of. Sleep one hour, and get ready for a diner meeting this evening. I woke up at 17:00........
A Spiderweb just next to me. While sitting on a bench in Central Park I saw him busy fixing his new home and source for food gaining. He was a Nomad too. His network of threads kept him alive. Just like me
And again I had to speed up but I still was in a slow mode. Luckily I got saved by a system. A system that ain’t that visible but is always there. I agreed to meet at the central Globspot on Times Square. I took one of the CNT’s (City Network Train) to Time Square. After a few stops I slowly started to fade away in a fluffy dreamland. A beep in my pocket woke me up. Times Square was the next stop my PDA told me. The amazing gadet registered that I fell a sleep and was thoughtful enough to wake me up just in time. Saved by the bell. I walked onto Times Square and suddenly my PDA beeped again. Oh my god Peter had just entered the GlobSpot. If he saw me and Jake together he definitely would get suspicious. And this project should stay out off his reach and Jake didn’t knew that jet and I intended to leave it that way. I send Jake a text massage and made up some stupid excuse, I think it worked, I hope........