THE NETHERLANDS is with approximately 400 inhabitants per km² the country with the highest population density in Europe (in comparison: Germany counts 230 inhabitants per km²). The juxtaposition of high density housing versus rural appearance is only possible because of strict planning policies. The lack of space and shortage of housing generates large scale building and urban planning projects. The result is an unique dynamic of planning and innovative architecture solutions.

Planning processes are a public interest, and therefore also architecture has become a part of the everyday culture in the Netherlands. Institutions and governmental departments encourage the public discussion, in which pragmatism and creativity continuously lead to interesting approaches and built results, such as MVRDV´s 'stratified landscape', the Dutch Pavilion for the Expo 2000 in Hannover.

Join us on an architecture tour through the Netherlands: Amsterdam - historic canal city with innovative new architecture, Rotterdam - boomtown on the Maas river, Den Haag - governmental city with down-town ambitions, Utrecht and its university quarter, Almere - planned city of the 80ies in transition, to name just some of them.