'Flying Markets' Activating Public Spaces in Amsterdam

Marketplaces can be used by city planners as urban development strategies because they have the potential to turn open spaces in the city into public space, thereby improving both the social and the spatial qualities of those spaces. In Amsterdam, however, marketplaces currently fail to activate public space. Based on a history of increased policing and containment, the present attitude of city officials towards Amsterdam's markets is one of suspicion. In response, we propose the creation of Flying Markets: small-scale temporary marketplaces that pop-up in various open spaces in the city to stimulate the transformation of those spaces into public spaces. Based on a provisional study in Amsterdam Oost, we argue that Flying Markets have the potential to contribute to city life in this area, as they relate to various important planning agendas. However, a pilot project would be necessary to develop the design further.