Between 1980 and 2015, Amsterdam changed from a poor city under a radical left-wing government to a city dominated by middle classes. Our central concern is to explain and understand this transformation; and to reveal the mechanisms that (re-)made Amsterdam as a middle-class city. This book asks the question how can a city ruled by the socialist or social democratic Labour Party for a century, and internationally famed for its social policies, become a place where gentrification sets the tone and (neo)liberal urbanism takes hold? To answer, we focus on the interlocking socio-economic and political dynamics that have reshaped Amsterdam\u2019s social geography. We study the institutional and symbolic politics that have undergirded Amsterdam\u2019s transformation, showing that the manifestation of hegemonic middle-class politics are not only about electoral dynamics and new urban policies but also about the symbolic moderation of its negative effects.
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Speakers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Willem R. Boterman<\/span> and Wouter van Gent<\/span> are urban and political geographers at the University of Amsterdam. Their work focuses on the social class based transformation of cities, urban spatial policies and urban politics.<\/p>\n\n