Once seen as a quiet commuter community south of Amsterdam, Amstelveen is now a dynamic and lively town in its own right. This is largely due to its coherent centre, completed in 2003 following an urban development project to integrate living, working, shopping and cultural activities in various innovative ways.

This enormous undertaking included significantly extending the shopping area with an extra 21,000 m² of retail space. New cafes and restaurants were located on the new Stadsplein square, offering another good reason for shoppers to visit. The renovated Binnenhof shopping centre was linked to the new Rembrandthof to create one continuous retail area. Parking for some 1,600 cars was added.

There is much more to this project that shops alone, including various residential options. Interconnected buildings around the town square include two libraries, the renovated Schouwburg Theatre, an Adult Education facility, the School of Music and a youth club. The Cobra Museum of Modern Art is close by as is the new Handelsplein square, which includes 15,000 m² of offices.

With the three core concepts of practical, cultural and future value as a guideline, the designers/developers have ensured that Amstelveen's sophisticated new town centre is flourishing as never before.