Peculiarities of formation of suburban zones of European cities. The Netherlands

The article discusses formation of the suburban zones of the cities of the largest European conurbation of Rundstad of the Kingdom of the Netherlands by the example of planning the development of the metropolitan area of Utrecht with the participation of European commissions, government programs and the urban population. The Randstad conurbation modelis described, consisting of four agglomerations, each of which plays its role as a region. The article considers one of the components of the Randstad settlement system in the province of Utrecht, with its administrative division, functional focus, features and advantages of location. The main ideas of the third industrial revolution brought to Europe by the American economist and sociologist Jeremy Rifkin are described, which made it possible to develop cities and ensure their ecological sustainability on the basis of renewable energy sources, including the creation of master plans for cities. The initiatives and implemented projects of the VINEX program for the development of new areas in the suburban area of Utrecht are explored.