DESIGN BUILDING, basic principle

In principle the DigiNomads accommodation should be a spot on the globe (GlobeSpot) that is recognizable and traceable for those on the move. It should offer a place to live, meet, share and move on again to the next GlobeSpot. It is the Inn of the future, not the save spot in between traveldestinations located in the middle of nowhere but the save place exactly on the point where live takes place. Connected to everything and everywhere, being a spider in de net instead of just a point of the network.

BOTH SURVEY's ONLINE NOW!!!!

Both surveys now online, if you want to help me you now can. Please fill in my survey. If you are a DigiNomad, chose the sign for DigiNomads. If you are just someone who like to go on holidays (and don't we all) than take the traveler sign. THANKS A LOT ALREADY FOR FILLING IN THE SURVEY FORM.

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.

Hotspot connectivity (first trail)

If we take the hotspots out of the former analysis of 'local connectivity' we get a list of 11 spots:

1) Sloterdijk

2) Amstelstation

3) Zuidas

4) Busstation Amstelveenseweg

5) Busstation Amstelveen

6) Station Bijlmer

7) Buikslotermeerplein

8) Admiraal de Ruijterweg

9) Central Station

10) Shoppinng area

11) Museumplein

If we take these spots and see were they have there main connections within the city of Amsterdam we get the following maps. (This is a first trail so not all spots are yet defined and the maps need more geographic detail)

The left picture is the network of 'Amstelstation' and on the right 'Busstation Amstelveen'. The left picture shows the wide spread network of Amstelstation, connecting to every other hotspot in the city and even to Shiphol. The picture of Busstation Amstelveen shows a more defined image: A strong vain towards the commercial city centre of Amsterdam and two focus points on Schiphol and the Bijlmer. Further there is a connection with the land south of the city boundaries of Amsterdam.

LOCAL_CONNECTIVITY

I tried to find the best public transport spot in Amsterdam as follows:
- Take the public transport map of Amsterdam
- Overlay it with a grid
- Define the connectivity of every grid point. Using a circle with a radius of 500m, counting all public transport lines.
- These figures are used as input for a 3d model in which peaks are well connected spots and lower areas less connected.

Below you see the top view of the result

Analyzing Amsterdam, In search of the perfect location

From a global scale towards the scale of the city of Amsterdam to find the perfect location for the architectural design of a GlobeSpot.

In my research the scale difference of Global and Local comes appearing every time over and over again. So does it too in this analysis. On one hand I try to define the Global features of Amsterdam and on the other hand the Local flavours of it's place. I do this out of the perspective of the DigiNomad. There are the basic physical needs of a DigiNomad and the wish to be on a well connected spot inside the city. If we divide these over Global and Local scales we get the following sub analysis.

GLOBAL_CONNECTIVITY
GLOBAL CONNECTED AMSTERDAM:
- How is the city of Amsterdam connected to the rest of the Global City? If we lay a grid over the Amsterdam City Map; how many steps does it takes to get from a certain point within the city to Schiphol (only one step away from the rest of the world).

GLOBAL_DigiNomad Needs
DIGITAL AMSTERDAM:
- Amsterdam has an identity for the rest of the world. In the Digital Empire makes this identity even more promoted than ever before. But what is this image, how do we see Amsterdam through Internet?

LOCAL_CONNECTIVITY
LOCAL CONNECTED AMSTERDAM:
- How is the city of Amsterdam connected to itself? If we take the grid again how many possibilities do we have within a distance of 500m to use a public transport line to move trough the city?

LOCAL_DigiNomadNeeds
NOMADIC AMSTERDAM:
- If we take all different physical needs (laundry, hairdresser, pc-store, café, etc.) and point them out on a map what areas within Amsterdam do jump out?

My superimposing all these maps I hope to find the perfect location for the GlobeSpot.

Happy New Year to you All

Happy Travels in 2007