Why does Amsterdam’s canal network have a spiderweb pattern?

Amsterdam’s distinctive spiderweb pattern is the result of the city’s expansion during its Golden Age in the 17th and early 18th centuries. To accommodate growth, the city was laid out in a crescent shape featuring three main concentric canals—the Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht—which wrap around the historic city center in ever-larger rings.12

This concentric arrangement is bisected by smaller radial canals and narrow streets that fan out from the port toward the city boundary. Together, these intersecting rings and radial lines create the characteristic spiderweb design.12