2009 | In 2009 Theo Baart photographed for the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment 35 business parks all over the Netherlands. This ministry started a program called Mooi Nederland [Beautiful Netherlands] to promote innovation and improvement of the Dutch landscape. Many people are concerned about the sprawl and ugliness of business areas situated along the highways as 'no go areas' connected with the cities.

Theo Baart's photography work was part of a database done by Ecorys for the Mooi Nederland program and for a small book made for introduction of a new financial instrument to improve these business parks.

Indeed most of these parks are ugly. Buildings are functional never designed by an architect, and when not functional anymore they are abounded. Of course there is reason for concern, but wandering around these areas you also feel the energy, you are surprised by the sometimes exciting locations - near rivers, near the center of old towns - and you start to wonder about the potential of these industrial wastelands for living and working.

Photography Theo Baart

Text  Jan Rutten

Design  8-13 Graphic designers [Hans van der Kooi]

Publisher Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment

170 * 240 mm | 159 pages