Introduction

Abstract

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; the (re-)making of 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 again? To answer, we focus on the interlocking socio-economic and political dynamics that have reshaped Amsterdam’s social geography. The manifestation of hegemonic middle-class politics are not only about policy but also about the symbolic moderation of negative effects.