Another great Hoog video. Which reminded me that this topic has come up on Tildes before, and it has been a while. So I figured I'll share some more information I have shared before as it seems...
Another great Hoog video. Which reminded me that this topic has come up on Tildes before, and it has been a while. So I figured I'll share some more information I have shared before as it seems applicable. What the video does highlight that it isn't a given that the Netherlands would become the cycling paradise it is in modern times. It got really worse here as well before it got better.
The biking infrastructure the Netherlands is famous for was not nearly as extensive and solid when I was growing up in the 90s. And a few decades before that, most bicycle paths and other infrastructure simply did not exist.
Basically, the Netherlands was undergoing the same transformation the US was, but at some point it was recognized this was an issue (due to many protests, public debate, etc) and the trend was put to a halt and work started to actively reverse it.
Up until the 70s, the national government had almost no bicycle policy in place and heavily focused on better car infrastructure. This changed, as I said, due to public pressure, as the increased motorization also contributed to a steady rise in traffic deaths. This in turn spurred a protest movement called “Stop de Kindermoord” which is Dutch for “Stop the Child Murder. More info.
Stop de Kindermoord and the rest of the story that turned the Netherlands into a bicycle country illustrates that it took concerted and continuous effort to get this done. For anyone interested in...
Stop de Kindermoord and the rest of the story that turned the Netherlands into a bicycle country illustrates that it took concerted and continuous effort to get this done.
For sure, in fact it is an ongoing effort to keep it that way and improve. In fact, the bicycle infrastructure we had in the 90s when I was growing up while already improved a ton compared to the...
For sure, in fact it is an ongoing effort to keep it that way and improve. In fact, the bicycle infrastructure we had in the 90s when I was growing up while already improved a ton compared to the 70s pales in comparison to the same infrastructure we have now.
I should note that while we love to talk about bicycles in this context. It is probably better to talk about non car centric infrastructure as it also is designed with other modes of transport (including walking) in mind.
It goes hand in hand. Ditching cars means there's suddenly a bunch of real estate that people can use for much smaller modes of transport that can coexist safer than alongside cars. Bicycle...
It goes hand in hand. Ditching cars means there's suddenly a bunch of real estate that people can use for much smaller modes of transport that can coexist safer than alongside cars.
Bicycle culture is the poster child but really, bike culture facilitates walkable cities. Even then it's much more difficult to dislodge if public transport is also taken care of. You need strong public transport for a robust walkable/bikeable city.
Utrecht wants walkable cities but I find their methods roundabout. Instead of creating good public transit, they frustrate the hell out of car drivers by making roads exceedingly hostile. It doesn't actually reduce car use, because the inner city public transit alternatives are lacking, and it just serves to create pent up drivers.
I never quite seem to quickly get where I need to be using a bus in Utrecht. Conversely, I know that a tram or bus will take me anywhere I need in Amsterdam.
The author of the video chose an misleading title. It sounds like there is enthusiasm to make the city more car centric, instead of the use of "genius" being seen as sarcastic/ironic.
The author of the video chose an misleading title. It sounds like there is enthusiasm to make the city more car centric, instead of the use of "genius" being seen as sarcastic/ironic.
That's a matter of opinion. If you prefer the bicycle-centric transportation methodology of Amsterdam, it does seem sarcastic. To play devil's advocate: If you prefer, or have financial interest...
That's a matter of opinion.
If you prefer the bicycle-centric transportation methodology of Amsterdam, it does seem sarcastic.
To play devil's advocate: If you prefer, or have financial interest in, a car-centric Amsterdam it is indeed a genuinely "genius" plan.
It took a concerted effort over the course of decades to not make Amsterdam car centric, but disagreeing with a different course of action doesn't make the other plan less "genius".
Well, I'd argue that the first half of the video has a pretty optimistic tone about it (despite the Drive soundtrack underneath). It's an interesting look at how old cities tried to adapt to the...
Well, I'd argue that the first half of the video has a pretty optimistic tone about it (despite the Drive soundtrack underneath).
It's an interesting look at how old cities tried to adapt to the automobile. Personally, I had never heard of canals being filled in - what a wild, awful idea.
Many of the canals of Rotterdam got filled in the aftermath of the German bombing. And Utrecht filled in one of their main canals to make the city more car friendly and later reversed the whole...
Many of the canals of Rotterdam got filled in the aftermath of the German bombing.
I learned that the city I lived in had a freeway planned that entered the downtown car affectionately called "The Penetrator". Thankfully the project fell through.
I learned that the city I lived in had a freeway planned that entered the downtown car affectionately called "The Penetrator".
Another great Hoog video. Which reminded me that this topic has come up on Tildes before, and it has been a while. So I figured I'll share some more information I have shared before as it seems applicable. What the video does highlight that it isn't a given that the Netherlands would become the cycling paradise it is in modern times. It got really worse here as well before it got better.
In the city of Utrecht they actually have been working for decades now to undo a lot of the car centric damage. For example by restoring a canal that was turned into a motorway, Guardian article about it as well.
The car free inner cities, which the Netherlands is now sort of famous for, used to be riddled with cars as well. A lot of the market squares and plazas with restaurants, stores, and cafés used to be outright parking lots. As an example, this square in 1970 is the same as this still car allowed but restricted square in the 80s which is the same one as this modern day one with no cars allowed at all.
The biking infrastructure the Netherlands is famous for was not nearly as extensive and solid when I was growing up in the 90s. And a few decades before that, most bicycle paths and other infrastructure simply did not exist.
Basically, the Netherlands was undergoing the same transformation the US was, but at some point it was recognized this was an issue (due to many protests, public debate, etc) and the trend was put to a halt and work started to actively reverse it.
Up until the 70s, the national government had almost no bicycle policy in place and heavily focused on better car infrastructure. This changed, as I said, due to public pressure, as the increased motorization also contributed to a steady rise in traffic deaths. This in turn spurred a protest movement called “Stop de Kindermoord” which is Dutch for “Stop the Child Murder. More info.
A few more examples:
Stop de Kindermoord and the rest of the story that turned the Netherlands into a bicycle country illustrates that it took concerted and continuous effort to get this done.
For anyone interested in more about that, there is an episode of 99% Invisible that covers the story to be found here https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/de-fiets-is-niets/
For sure, in fact it is an ongoing effort to keep it that way and improve. In fact, the bicycle infrastructure we had in the 90s when I was growing up while already improved a ton compared to the 70s pales in comparison to the same infrastructure we have now.
I should note that while we love to talk about bicycles in this context. It is probably better to talk about non car centric infrastructure as it also is designed with other modes of transport (including walking) in mind.
It goes hand in hand. Ditching cars means there's suddenly a bunch of real estate that people can use for much smaller modes of transport that can coexist safer than alongside cars.
Bicycle culture is the poster child but really, bike culture facilitates walkable cities. Even then it's much more difficult to dislodge if public transport is also taken care of. You need strong public transport for a robust walkable/bikeable city.
Utrecht wants walkable cities but I find their methods roundabout. Instead of creating good public transit, they frustrate the hell out of car drivers by making roads exceedingly hostile. It doesn't actually reduce car use, because the inner city public transit alternatives are lacking, and it just serves to create pent up drivers.
I never quite seem to quickly get where I need to be using a bus in Utrecht. Conversely, I know that a tram or bus will take me anywhere I need in Amsterdam.
Edit: spelling
The author of the video chose an misleading title. It sounds like there is enthusiasm to make the city more car centric, instead of the use of "genius" being seen as sarcastic/ironic.
That's a matter of opinion.
If you prefer the bicycle-centric transportation methodology of Amsterdam, it does seem sarcastic.
To play devil's advocate: If you prefer, or have financial interest in, a car-centric Amsterdam it is indeed a genuinely "genius" plan.
It took a concerted effort over the course of decades to not make Amsterdam car centric, but disagreeing with a different course of action doesn't make the other plan less "genius".
Well, I'd argue that the first half of the video has a pretty optimistic tone about it (despite the Drive soundtrack underneath).
It's an interesting look at how old cities tried to adapt to the automobile. Personally, I had never heard of canals being filled in - what a wild, awful idea.
Many of the canals of Rotterdam got filled in the aftermath of the German bombing.
And Utrecht filled in one of their main canals to make the city more car friendly and later reversed the whole thing again.
I learned that the city I lived in had a freeway planned that entered the downtown car affectionately called "The Penetrator".
Thankfully the project fell through.