During the second year of his studies at the Academy of Architecture, Piet Blom received his first urban development assignment, which he entitled: ‘Cites will be lived like villages’. Blom proposed a type of urbanization totally at odds with the extension of the Dutch cities during the reconstruction period. This was his first attempt to capture the warm interhuman structure of ‘his Jordaan’ in a new concept for urbanization. The preparation and elaboration of the project demonstrated Blom’s urban development talents. During his final college year Blom went ahead and did it all over again with ‘de Ark van Noach’, an urban development plan for an extensive type of urbanization between Amsterdam and Haarlem.

During his active period as an architect, Blom was consulted for several urban development problems. For example, in 1972, he prepared an urban development study of ‘de Jordaan’ near ‘de Rozenstraat’. Blom connected the northern and southern part of ‘de Jordaan’ by mean of a traffic bridge with a lower square. The square, a ‘wonderful quiet oasis’ should facilitate ‘human traffic’.

Of the urban development assignments that followed, among others, Rotterdam (‘Blaakoverbouwing’ and ‘Spaanse Kade’) and Amersfoort (‘Gesloten Stad’) were built. Drafts for Medemblik, Monnikendam, Zaandijk, Wijk bij Duurstede, Rotterdam (Nieuwe Binnenweg and Scholendriehoek), Zwolle and Amsterdam did not extend the drawing table.

Under the orders of the council of Valkenburg, Blom developed together with Hans van der Eijk an urban development plan and design for a promenade following ‘de Geul’. The promenade should reintegrate the River and provide a continuous walking tour between the Eastern and Western part of the City. Because of the tensed political situation in the city (the municipal council elections arriving), the board hesitated with regard to the actual construction of the promenade. According to Blom, Valkenburg passed over a wonderful opportunity.