Vissershop
In Zaanstad, just northwest of Amsterdam, is an enclave of 244 houses built in 1920 on the banks of the Zaan, commonly referred to as Vissershop. By the 1990's the future of Vissershop was at risk because the wood foundations of the houses, rotting for decades, presented unsafe conditions. Vissershop was the first housing to be built by Zaandams Volkhuisvesting (ZVH), a nonprofit mutual housing association established by the local union of shipyard workers. Today ZVH owns and manages 5,600 units of housing in the Zaanstreek, the urban area just northwest of Amsterdam. As the very roots of the organization were formed in the neighborhood, and with many residents living their whole lives in the community, there was a critical need for a sensitive planning approach that took into account the historic, cultural, and social context.
In 2000 I was asked by ZVH to moderate a public discussion of the future of Visserhop. It was a though, at times emotional, conversation. In the end, all stakeholders agreed that replacement of the seriously compromised foundations of the buildings was not feasible, and that demolition and new construction was the only option.
