The IJpark proposal provides a plan for the addition of new land and for the greening of the rear side of Central Station. While the banks of the IJ to the west and east of the station have been developed and densified, the northern quay area seems to have been forgotten in the development plans. This area is currently dominated by rail, tram, and other infrastructure but, with a good plan, it can be transformed into a place where people can feel free from Amsterdam’s urban intensity for a while. The area that can be programmed – owned by the city and far enough from the shipping lanes of the Department of Public Works – runs from IJdok 1 to the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ. The challenge in this area is to create space in the heart of the city, at its most intensive intersection, that also does justice to the IJ's various identities; from the repurposed warehouses in the Eastern Docklands to the social housing of IJplein.

The quay area can become a metropolitan public space, where there is also room for four striking, half-open buildings that create urban windows to respect and enhance the lines of sight from the canals and Noord. These buildings could house, among other things, the new Harbour Office and the Chamber of Commerce. One of the buildings would be the perfect location for a 'House for the City', a central location for the thousands of municipal employees who currently work spread across the city. In addition, IJpark could accommodate an innovation campus where universities and businesses can meet, for example by reserving approximately 25,000m2 in one building for the offices of innovative companies, start-ups, and established companies, and 10,000m2 for laboratory and research space.