Amsterdam as a Sorting Machine - AA Podcast #002

The 2nd podcast produced by Daniel Leix Palumbo for Amsterdam Alternative is based on on-going research conducted by Jaap Draaisma, which comes along with a documentary and an online article recently published on AA. In this podcast, Jaap tells more about his research and the documentary, explaining how Amsterdam has turned into a Global City, where temporary conditions are the new common denominator. Amsterdam is now a sorting machine, organised around the new economy’s flexible working contracts and the shortage of long-term, affordable housing. The city is characterised by a continuous turnover of people, where both newcomers and Amsterdammers are kicked out if not among the few successful. This is a self-sustainable mechanism for capitalist production, but it destroys the city's social life. Finally, potential strategies to struggle and stay in the city are discussed.

Credits:
Interviewer: Tommaso Campagna
Interviewee: Jaap Draaisma
Intro: Maria Plichta
Music and Audio Production: Daniel Leix Palumbo