ABSTRACT
On a picturesquely winding road between ancient trees and farms that have cattle grazing in lush meadows stands a large billboard (Figure 10.1). The left side of the billboard shows a simple painting of high-rise buildings and factories (later partly covered, without invitation, by a poster of a lady). The right half contains a window surrounded by a golden frame, allowing you to look through and see the beautiful
landscape behind the billboard. The text beneath it says: ‘Which would you rather see?’ The billboard expresses the discontent of the local population about a plan to convert the area into urban land use. It is just one way that local conflict takes shape on one of the many open spaces in the Netherlands that are on the verge of disappearing.
