Architect Jan Sterenberg (1923-2000) worked in the transition period from rigid reconstruction districts with row houses to cauliflower neighborhoods with residential areas. His firm in Ter Apel was one of the largest architectural firms in the Netherlands and between about 1950 and 1980 built tens of thousands of homes throughout the country, from the urban district of Lewenborg in Groningen to Buytenwegh de Leyens in Zoetermeer and urban renewal in Zwolle. Sterenberg saw living as an activity and his designs should encourage residents to use the home and its surroundings creatively. The houses were sober and functional; the green surroundings provided space for relaxation and for children to play. The politically active Sterenberg interacted with the building elite of the Netherlands, and at the same time was a great advocate of public participation. His views on housing and new forms of living were recognized with a professorship at TU Delft. Nevertheless, his firm went down ingloriously in the early 1980s. This richly illustrated book brings the work of the inspired pragmatist Sterenberg out of anonymity and places it in context. The problems of the time, such as the great demand for new housing, rising costs and energy conservation, are also the important themes of today. Growth Cores and Housing Environments shows the possibilities and limitations that played a role in Sterenberg's housing designs. Richly illustrated with photographs and drawings of projects as diverse as the residential estates in Emmen and Groningen, the urban renewal Zwolle, the growth centers Zoetermeer and Spijkenisse to the low-rise buildings of Bijlmer Amsterdam. Published as part of the heritage program Post 65.