Amsterdam

GWL Terrein is located in the famously bicycling-friendly city of Amsterdam. Among the developments people have studied, GWL Terrein has gone the furthest to reduce the role of the car in people's lives. GWL Terrein is a car-free brownfield redevelopment with limited parking, carsharing provision and good transit access. GWL Terrein used to be the site of the Municipal Water Company. In 1993, the basic principles for the site were described in an urban planning schedule of requirements. The site was to be car-free and aimed to discourage car ownership and use by ensuring good public transit, a safe environment for pedestrians and selecting inhabitants who agreed with the ecological principles of the project. The development consists of 17 mid- and high-rise apartment buildings along with the renovated pump engine building, which is now home to Cafe Amsterdam. GWL Terrein includes many features that make it unique among neighborhoods in Amsterdam and encourages sustainable living.