City of Amsterdam
A screenshot taken from the Amsterdam City Doughnut report.
The Amsterdam Doughnut Model represents a bold and beautiful vision for the future — one where humanity thrives in harmony with the planet, rather than at its expense. Rooted in the principles of doughnut economics, this model imagines a city that is not just economically successful, but socially just and ecologically safe.
At the heart of the model lies a simple yet powerful image: a doughnut. The inner ring symbolizes the minimum we all need to lead a good life — clean water, education, healthcare, equity, political voice, and more. The outer ring marks the ecological ceiling — the limits of our planet’s ability to support life, from climate stability to biodiversity and clean air. The space between these two rings is the “safe and just space” — a sweet spot where both people and planet can thrive.
Amsterdam, by embracing this model, has become more than a city of canals, art, and bicycles — it has become a pioneer of 21st-century urban transformation. It dares to ask not just how much a city grows, but how well it lives. It measures progress not by profit alone, but by well-being, sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience.
In a world grappling with climate breakdown, social inequality, and disconnection, Amsterdam's commitment to the Doughnut Model offers a quiet but powerful hope: that we can redesign our cities, our economies, and our lives to be regenerative and distributive by design. It invites us to dream of places where innovation meets compassion, where growth means healing — of communities, ecosystems, and futures.
The Amsterdam Doughnut is not just a model. It's a promise: that a better way is not only possible — it is already beginning.