"For the amenity of this city's residents': The Plantage in Amsterdam, a public project

Urban Farm DB summary

A historical study of the Plantage, created in the northeastern corner of Amsterdam in 1682, examining it as a public project rather than simply an early allotment garden complex. It focuses on the public function of the botanical garden that formed part of the site, the unusual location within the city walls, and the detailed design by municipal engineer Jacob Bosch. The study traces how the "Hortus Medicus," an educational garden for apprentice apothecaries, was transferred to the Plantage and transformed into the "Hortus Botanicus," a botanical garden open to the general public, showing that the city council invested not only in a knowledge institute for public health but also in a cultural institution for the "education and delight" of Amsterdam's citizens.