Amsterdam's becoming more and more the playgrounds for the rich. Pretty much every property in the main tourist district is owned by not too many rich people and investors. Banning tourists from coffeeshops (and reducing the number of coffeeshops), trying to get rid of the red light district, using all the buildings there pretty much solely as investment (not for living themselves in). It's even that bad, that the people who work for those rich people, can't afford to live close to their respective jobs. Social housing, which was in its' haydays a worldwide example of how you go about housing for everyone, has been privatised to oblivion and even partially sold out to those investors. Amsterdam has changed over the last twenty-odd years into a rich ass hell-hole where fausses puritines dominate the rule-making. No public opinion involved there.

I understand the banning framed in the environmental view, but the visitor limiting is kind of cutting off the, historically, bread and butter of the city. All for a few rich cunts and their streetview (and curb appeal, ofcourse). Then you can't have some rowdy people in, sometimes, way too loud shirts. Or the smell of some herbs down the block. Or during a nightwalk through the neighborhood having to look at people who suck their rich ass for less than their partners & employees do. Taking away big city character for some offworld idea of aesthetics and money-grabbing.

As you can imagine, it has been a while since I've been there.