ABSTRACT
The Amsterdam Forest, or Amsterdamse Bos, is completely man made and is a “child of its time.” The realization of the Amsterdamse Bos became part of a large national system of public works. Dutch-elm tree disease and now ash dieback disease, the latter considered quite serious, have been detected in the Amsterdamse Bos. In 2005 the Amsterdamse Bos was enlarged by adding the Schinkel Bos (35 hectares) in the southwest. The Amsterdamse Bos is now part of a broader policy approach: the Structural Vision Amsterdam 2040. The 85 years old Amsterdamse Bos is put to the test. The emphasis on social functions of the park was directly inspired by the German example of the “Volkspark,” especially the sports facilities. The original design of the Amsterdamse Bos seems to manage to be flexible without losing its fundamental natural and cultural values.
