In the mid-nineteenth century, the city center became polluted and hygiene received increasing attention. Amsterdam residents felt the need for fresh air and that is why Amsterdam's first city park was constructed in 1845. However, due to the relocation of the Westerkanaal, the Westerplantsoen had to disappear. Thus, a new park was created on this site in 1891: The Westerpark. It had a long driveway, a children's playground and a large pond, and in the summer the people of Amsterdam could go there for theater performances. Here you will find trees that are as old as the park itself. In 2003, the park was merged with a new park, which included the old gasworks site. The American landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson opted for a progression in different layers from east to west: from a classic city garden to a korfball field where there is room for sports and games, and a water garden where residents can retreat to nature.
The idea behind this difference in zones is that over the years humans have started to adopt a different attitude towards nature. Moreover, this way each place in the park has its own atmosphere. Gustafson's work often straddles the border between landscape architecture and land art.