Three canals in Amsterdam as an innovative project of the early modern period

Abstract

The Amsterdam urban breakthrough in the project of three canals can be characterized in modern terminology as the first urban ecosystem, essentially a spatial reflection of the heyday of economic and socio-political life in the 17th century in the Netherlands, followed up in painting, science, education, and innovation. It is an example of how the abstract scholastic idea of an ideal city is filled with real life content. The article explores how socio-political processes, technical and economic innovations, cultural and educational environment influence city planning and architecture. The connection between architectural and spatial processes and socio-economic transformations is considered in a new light. The article raises the importance of the three canals in Amsterdam, one of the largest urban development projects of the early modern period, into the context of architectural science.