Banner @ Tabakspanden [Credit: HansFoto] Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and sits at the top of the Randstad area. The city has a population of 800,000 and 1.5 million people live in the greater metropolitan area. It has long been regarded as one of the squatting strongholds of Western Europe, a thought which I want to interrogate here. This article is based on my academic work and it is a fascinating topic. Squatters have done so much to shape the city of Amsterdam.