Amsterdam Creative City for a Culture of Peace
An experimental idea, inspired by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network
Amsterdam
City Districs
Why This Page Is Changing
This page used to be a city guide. Now, it is becoming something more.
Amsterdam Creative City for a Culture of Peace explores one big idea.
Could Amsterdam become a UNESCO Creative City for Peace?
This page shares where that idea came from, and where it could go.
Inspired by UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network
UNESCO launched the Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in 2004.
Today, the network connects 408 cities in more than 100 countries.
Member cities place creativity at the heart of their development plans.
They cooperate across eight creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, Music, and Architecture.
One field is still missing from that list: peacebuilding.
That gap inspired our idea.
→ Read more about UCCN on RYB
→ Visit UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network
A New Category: Creative Cities for Culture of Peace
We propose a new category: Creative Cities for Culture of Peace.
It would sit alongside UNESCO’s existing fields, not replace them.
Other city networks could join this effort too.
UN-Habitat, UCLG, URBACT, and the World Cities Culture Forum share similar goals.
Together, these networks could help co-create this new category, city by city.
Amsterdam, the Test Laboratory
Amsterdam could become the first Creative City for a Culture of Peace.
RYB is based here, so the idea starts here too.
For now, this remains an experiment, not a finished plan.
We are starting small, one step at a time.
First, with this website, and by sharing the idea openly.
Next, by looking for contacts, partners, and inspiration.
Step by step, the concept can take real shape.
A Future Building: Café, Restaurant, and Gallery
One goal stands out: a physical space, right here in Amsterdam.
We imagine a café and restaurant, with our own gallery inside.
Artists could exhibit there, with group exhibitions and performances.
The building would carry RYB’s colours: red, yellow, and blue.
→ Read the bigger story behind this idea on our homepage
Why Amsterdam Fits This Role
Amsterdam carries a centuries-old legacy of tolerance and diversity.
Since the Golden Age, the city has welcomed refugees, free thinkers, and immigrants.
That history shaped a culture where different perspectives meet and coexist.
From the Homomonument to its many museums, Amsterdam already honours peace and human rights.
This legacy makes Amsterdam a fitting home for a new kind of Creative City.
Amsterdam by the Numbers
Amsterdam has seven districts, plus the urban area of Weesp.
Together, they form 25 areas, 110 districts, and 518 neighbourhoods.
The city counted 935,793 residents in 2025.
→ Gemeente Amsterdam, Research and Statistics
Explore the districts using the menu, from Stadsdeel Centrum to Stadsdeel Zuidoost.
Cultural Infrastructure
Amsterdam’s cultural infrastructure map shows where art and culture happen across the city.
It covers every building with an art programme, or a cultural maker inside.
Looking Forward
This page will grow, with new child pages on the way.
We are looking for artists, partners, and venues to join this experiment.
If you have ideas, contacts, or inspiration, we want to hear from you.
Step by step, Amsterdam Creative City for a Culture of Peace takes shape.