w. Green as a Urban System: green areas and outdoor life habits in the interwar period as seen from the dutch magazine de 8 en Opbouw

Abstract

Dutch Magazine de 8 en Opbouw, heir of i10 was from its beginnings in 1932, to its disappearance in 1943 for political reasons, one of the last refuge for the Neues Bauen. It was formed by two previous groups from Amsterdam and Rotterdam, de 8 and OPBOUW. The magazine was always vigilant of every experience coming from France, Germany, the URSS or the USA. They took on enthusiastically new theories about Lebensreform, and the necessity for redesigning the Nineteenth Century city. This work seeks for articles focused or related in some way to green areas or “Outdoor life” encouragement. We’ll discover how dramatic was their claim for public policies in hygienic improvements and new green areas necessity. We’ll also discover, specially from 1938, high urban and landscaping value projects, inspired from the german 20’s and the New Objectivity experiences, as the Amsterdam Bosch, Rotterdam Green Plan or several sports, bath and swimming complex or new schools.