Is it possible to propagate social solidarity by means of an urban design? After 1945, the faith in the ‘makeable society’ was embodied in the ‘neighbourhood concept’. The Rotterdam suburb of Pendrecht offers an orderly living environment thanks to the gradual transition between neighbourhood, district, city borough and big city. Community centres, churches, schools and shops foster solidarity. Homes for couples, families, singles and seniors offer a living environment ‘from cradle to grave’ and are conducive to stable social relations. With its spatial embodiment of this social ideal, Pendrecht has made the Netherlands famous around the world. This progressive design was an important milestone in a unique Dutch planning tradition that began with the 17th-century polders and reached its zenith in the 20th century.
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