Homing the Dutch City

Abstract

Iconography of home and the politics of representation ABSTRACT This article discusses the iconography of home and the representation of space in Zaanstad, a Dutch city on the northern fringe of the metropolitan region of Amsterdam. Zaanstad is saturated with iconic images of local, regional, and national identity. Linking questions of home and belonging to the politics of symbolic representation, the current article examines home as a multi-sided field of action. Large-scale redevelopments frame home as a regional landscape of belonging, cast in vernacular architecture, and landmark buildings. Grassroots initiatives to revitalize working-class communities highlight identities based on class and local culture. The empirical case studies locate the politics of urban space in the symbolism that professionals and residents use for "homing" their city. Combining the study of