At that time (the ’60s in Europe !) there was much criticism on the university, its curriculum and its professors. So when the decision was taken to start a whole new faculty for building, architecture and planning at the Technical University in Eindhoven a group of fresh academics joined prof. John Habraken , the dean of that new faculty in his experiment.

Ab Oskam was lecturer at that faculty from early ’68 until late ’71. He was member of the faculty’s Board for almost three years and made responsible for the recruitment of the new staff. He was the staff’s representative in the ‘educational brain tank’ a group who, guided by Habraken, tried to create a new meaning for the curriculum and innovation of the educational program.

From May ’69 till Sept. of that year he lead a group of twelve students from Eindhoven and Harvard in a research project in the Pré-Sahara of Southern Morocco, the Oued Draa. The project was commissioned by the CERF , the research bureau of the ministry for Planning (de l’Amenagement du Territoire). It encompassed a study of the physical structure as well as the sociological meaning of the Qsour in that region. A region that used to be the traditional gateway for the trading caravans to the north-African countries (Maghreb).

In 1971 Ab Oskam accepted the invitation of one of the professors (Quist) to take over the management of his architectural firm. In the following five years he was responsible for about 100.000 sq. meters of offices, 50.000 m2 of shopping, 30.000m2 of medical buildings and ca. 2000 residential units to be built by this bureau. But in doing so his curiosity for long term and great-scale planning was stimulated.

In 1975 he became responsible for the Department for Urban Development of the city of Dordrecht; a small (110.000 inh.) historic town, south of Rotterdam. Dordrecht used to be the main city in the 16th century Hollands, comparable to Leiden, Haarlem, Delft or Brugge and Gand in the Flemish country. In our days Dordrecht combines historical values with contemporary urban an architectural experiments. Moreover, half of its territory has the status of a natural sanctuary (in a European context). Urban revitalisation by renewal, extension and economic reinforcement were the main topics in those years. It were the times when care for the environment became recognised.

The city Council of Amsterdam appointed Ab Oskam in 1981 as the man who should lead the process of urban renewal as well as restructure the city and city life. At that time the Dutch national planning philosophy was rather anti-urban. Cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague lost tens of thousands of inhabitants each year. Their urban facilities were threatened and the economic and cultural position of these cities was in danger. The aim of the city council was to implement a counter attack. To do so it needed new impulses for its Planning Department, a very high skilled and professional bureau, established by the world famous Cor van Eesteren in 1928.

At this time (1998) the city of Amsterdam is a very prosperous city, economically as well as cultural. It grows, but the growth is a meticulous one. Environmental values and the quality of ecological sustainability are the main standards for development. The city is a global city and as such it is confronted with new challenges, positive as well as negative, for an innovative future. The Physical Planning Department is working on that future (2030) as well as on the every day problems of the city.

Amsterdam and its Planning Dept. are often seen as the ‘Mecca for Urban Planners’ and so representatives are often asked for lecturing, consultancy and other ways of transferring knowledge, skills and experience. Staff members travel all around the world and Ab Oskam himself was obliged to narrow his activities down to a maximum of three or four international presentations a year. Still he found time to establish a twin city relationship with Managua, the capital of Nicaragua and sent senior members of his department for a permanent stay for more than six years, to develop and implement a strategic plan for that city. He was recognised as ‘citizen of honour’ by as well the Sandinista as the current regime.

Apart from the ‘normal professional exchange’ between cities from Western Europe and the US/Canada, the orientation is on ‘new countries’ in East Europe and South Africa for instance.

Oskam’s main achievements as chief planner for over fifteen years are a well organised, high-standard professional bureau of more than 225 people, including planners, architects, traffic engineers, sociologists, economists, ecologists and environmental planners.

Traditionally the orientation of Dutch planners is on managing the scarcity of physical space. More and more we are confronted with a new problem now: the scarcity of a high quality environment and the need for a sustainable ecology. This caused new disciplines to be introduced in the bureau.

As for the performance of the city: the new vitality can be seen in city life in the streets. And physical footprints are left in new infrastructure, the carrying out of a comprehensive urban renewal program, the waterfront developments, the quality of the airport as well as the achievement of a new, protected, ecological infrastructure.

The performance of the city ranks very high in a European and in a global context.

In December 1998 Ab Oskam was invited by the University of New South Wales and, with approval of his employer, the City of Amsterdam, was appointed as (adj.) Professor at the Faculty of the Built Environment.

• introducing new legal construction, accepted in national legislation
• introducing the "planning and decision-making system"; a system meant to coördinate all participants in the process, including political decision-makers (Council). The system is accepted for all activities in the municipality.
• introducing a new system for financing and controlling activities in the field of urban planning.
• the dept for Phys. Planning has not been formally criticised for its financial management for over 16 years.
• the "International Waterfront Award" (US) 1996.(Eastern Docklands, urban reconstruction).
• the "Award for Urban and Regional Planning "of the EEC 1996(IJburg, new extension).
• the "Award for the Environment"1997 (Sloten, residential area).
• introducing planning and emancipation.
• introducing planning and public safety.
• creating ecology as basis for planning.
• achieving preservation program for the historic city
• elaborating sewage system for the mediaeval city-parts
• introducing the environmental action program (yearly)
• inventing the spatial investment program (yearly)
• organising a Masterclass for planners
• …. a.s.o.…..
• establishing exchange and professional collaboration with:
• Managua (Nicaragua)
• La Habana (Cuba)
• Willemstad (Curacao)
• Ljubljana (Slovenia)
• St. Petersburg (Russia)
• Moscow (russia)
• Beira (Mocambique)
• Cape Town (South Africa)

Steering Committee for urban investments

Governmental committee for spatial strategy

Steering Committee for the environment

Governmental Committee for foreign aid

Steering Committee for housing

Mixed Committee for retail planning

Advisory Board to the Minister for Planning

Management team for the revision of the national plan

Governmental consultation on Schiphol-Airport

Steering Committee for the Region

Top-Level consultation of regional municipalities

The ‘Big 4’ consultation (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht)

Management team for infrastructure in the Northern Randstad

Randstadconsultation

personal data

c/o 596 King Street

Faculty of the Built Environment

Sydney 2052, Australia.