Amsterdam appoints carers to keep parks clean and welcoming

A new function is established in seven parks in the city, to cope with the increased visitors flow

After more than one year of relaxing and tightening of the coronavirus curbs in Europe, one thing has become clear – the safest place to meet our friends and relatives is outdoors, where we can maintain almost pre-pandemic social interactions while keeping a secure distance. Naturally, parks have become our favourite meeting venues and with the arrival of spring, many cities have observed higher than usual visitors’ flow to their urban green areas.

Amsterdam is, of course, no exception. In fact, the parks in the city have become so busy, that the authorities decided they need a higher degree of institutionalised management.

For this reason, the authorities decided to establish a new position, tasked with the good management of the parks – a park caretaker. Such a person, who is supposed to know a great deal about the park, has been appointed to seven parks in Amsterdam:  Oosterpark, Noorderpark, Westerpark, Rembrandtpark, Vondelpark, Amstelpark, Nelson Mandelapark and the new park on Gaasperdammertunnel.

A different kind of manager

First, the park concierge in Amsterdam has administrative functions – he is expected to help keep the park clean and oversee the good quality and condition of equipment, furniture and leisure and sports facilities. For this reason, he might also address visitors for their behaviour, if needed.

Unlike a manager, however, the park caretaker is unlikely to be found in the office, and would rather be outdoors in the park itself, meeting visitors and being the main point of contact for any question they might have. Not only can he share a lot about the history of the park, but he can also respond to various queries, like, for example, the conditions for the organisation of an event on the park’s territory.

The park concierges have already been appointed, and the first team was welcome by Alderman Laurens Ivens (Public Space, Greenery) on 13 May. You can meet them, too, and easily recognise them by the orange jacket reading “Parkconciërge”.