On Spuistraat: The Contested Streetscape in Amsterdam (Essay Sample)

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On Spuistraat: The Contested Streetscape in Amsterdam
The reading is about the infrastructural features such as roads and buildings that existed in Amsterdam in the past (Soja 281). The author describes in detail the historical buildings, urban planning, and the transition that has taken place mainly due to squatter movements. The reading gives a clear picture of how the design of the buildings and road networks in Amsterdam utilize space in a sustainable manner (Soja 284).
As the reading unfolds, it is clear that the author conducted his research both from his house and in the streets. He describes the daily routine of a woman living in a building the other side of the street, as he observes her from his window (Soja 286). The author also gives details of the shops, boutiques, bars and traffic jam as he observes them while walking in the streets. Apart from personal observation, the author gathered his data from secondary sources such as books. He is able to tell the origin and the functions of various infrastructures by referring to the documentations in books.
Soja basis his argument on the structural and infrastructural transition that took place and is still going on up to date in Amsterdam (291). He holds that if it were not for the squatt...