Territory-city : congestion and dilution of the 'full country' : architectural and historical survey of urban and landscape structures of the Dutch delta

This study raises the matter of the urbanization of the Dutch territory in order to question the possibility of durable and specific urban and landscape forms under conditions of a general and dynamic 'urban' attachment of the territory. Urban space now encompasses dwelling, working, recreation and infrastructure, as well as nature. The traditional oppositions of town versus country and centre versus periphery dissolve in a collage of different shades of urbanization. This dispersion of urban forms exceeds 'urban sprawl'. It entails an urban way of life that affects the whole territory, and is related to the contradictory tendencies of congestion (the 'compact city') and dilution (suburbanization, leisure). Although these issues enter contemporary conceptions, most of these lack a historica/ perspective. In this respect the concept of the 'villeterritoire' (Corboz 1992) seems more promising. The aim of this study is to elaborate this concept and to investigate its relevancy in the future urbanization of the Netherlands. The paper will mainly introduce the thematic substance of the research.