How The Netherlands Built a Biking Utopia

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Today the Netherlands is known for its incredible bike infrastructure. But this European country wasn’t always a utopia for cyclists.
For the last 6 months I've been obsessed with this question: How did the Netherlands go from having traffic-clogged cities to having some of the world's best bike infrastructure.
In this video I want to share what I learned with you and why I think there might just be hope for my car-obsessed society here in America.
Thanks to @NotJustBikes for letting me use some footage of car-free streets. If you haven't seen Jason's videos, I highly recommending checking out his channel here: / @notjustbikes
Sources: www.distilled.earth/p/how-the...
#biking #urbanism #sustainability

[@thijs5167]

I’m Dutch and since I was 8 years old, I went alone by bycicle too school and friends. When I was abroad, I was very suprised that in other countries were no bike lanes. And children could never go alone to things.

[@claudiavalentijn1457]

I am so happy to live in the NL where children can move around independently from their parents because of bikes.

[@MartinaPugliese]

This is painfully true. I'm Italian and when I was a kid (mid 90s) in my hometown (small place) kids used to go to school on foot. I'm grateful for that! These days virtually anyone does so the situation has gone the other way.

[@firstpostmaster]

The dutch are so innovative and productive

[@ezekiel3791]

@@claudiavalentijn1457 I am confused. We in Serbia do not have bike lanes, but children are free to go wherever they want without their parents. What I am missing there?

[@claudiavalentijn1457]

@@ezekiel3791 I am comparing the Dutch to the American situation

[@harenterberge2632]

Don't forget zoning. In north America new residential areas are almost exclusively reserved for single family homes. This makes the distances to shops schools and work too large for cycling and the density too low for public transport, so car dependency is built-in. Building new residential areas in middle density with row houses, town houses and small apartment blocks, and doctors, schools, and shops in the neighbourhood would already make a big difference.

[@distilled-earth]

Good point!

[@saynotop2w]

yeah a lot of youtubers omit this point. nobody would take bikes if the neighborhood stores wouldn’t pop up after infrastructure got built

[@sachadee.6104]

that's why the OTHER video's of NJB come into play: STRONG TOWNS ! Against the crazy zoning laws of suburbs

[@harenterberge2632]

@@sachadee.6104 City beautiful is another great resource.

[@sachadee.6104]

@@harenterberge2632 good to know, will check it out. Thank you.

[@davevanbeers6944]

I’m thinking you are missing something “not just bikes” is getting. It’s not just bikes that reduces car dependence, also great public transport options (often faster/slightly cheaper) then by car when driving alone, also reduces using the car, also being able to buy your groceries within walking distance also helps, so yeah, biking infrastructure is great in the Netherlands 🇳🇱 but not just that…. 😊

[@varyagus]

I guess this video is about history of transformation. I've watched dozens of Not Just Bikes videos and still found this one exciting.

[@SteinVarjord]

True. I’m Norwegian and live in Amsterdam. We do have a car, but use it on average once every two weeks, and then only for longer trips that would be complicated on public transport. Within Amsterdam a one way trip on public transport typically costs less than 2 euros. Half that on short trips. That means it’s significantly cheaper than a non electric car even with two people in the car. Then add parking…. On top of that, most of the time the bike is by far the fastest and most reliable option. No traffic jams. No parking hunt. No cancellations.

[@jlevans1985]

The fixed mindset comes from conservative ideology

[@warismysoul]

also TOTAL CONTROL

[@harderdabhard92]

But public transport in the Netherlands is not that good at all and super expensive compared to surrounding countries! It is also cheaper to take the car instead of the train ....

[@Mo.Jo.]

Coming from North America, I've spent quite a few weeks these last two winters in European cities on holiday or working remotely from there. I can honestly tell you that its been so much better for my mental health being able to just walk or cycle anywhere I need to go. As soon as I come back to North America and get in the drivers seat of my car, a sense of gloom comes over me because I cant believe I'm back to driving every single time I need to go out even to a local store.

[@nixl3518]

You can still do that in America! You just have to choose the right city! Coming back and living in the suburbs is a recipe you create yourself! A prejudiced mentality is a hard thing to overcome.

[@night6724]

when i lived in the netherlands i hated it and felt suicidal every day

[@theman6137]

@@night6724why

[@Bladel1965]

Good video! You just miss one very important point that others here have mentioned too; zoning laws in North America. In the Netherlands, in any city and village, schools and shops are very close to your house. You can find a supermarket, day care center or elementary school within minutes walk or bicycle ride from your home. As a child I could walk or bike to school in my own neighborhood. You did that together with the other kids in the same neighborhood, on your own, without your parents. High schools are often further away from your neighborhood, but mostly within a 10-15km radius which the vast majority of these teenagers will do by bike, on their own or with other kids from their neighborhood going to that same school. In all kind of weather. This independence is one of the main reasons why children in the Netherlands are the happiest of the world. Independence children in the US can only get at the age of 16 when they get their driver’s license.

[@distilled-earth]

Good points!

[@jooproos6559]

Yes!And look at the situation in the US,i saw a video about a school in the middle off nowhere and the children had to be brought to it with of course cars of their parents!There was ONLY this school,all around the school was just farmland.Who would do this?Only in America!The schools in the Netherlands are usely still at the same place as in 1950.So mostly close to the homes and the new extensions of cities have their schools also on walkable distance.

[@danielkelly2210]

@@jooproos6559 There's an incentive to build few, large schools in the middle of nowhere because the land is cheaper. and fewer and larger schools mean fewer administrative staff are needed. Walkability/bikability is not a concern.

[@jannetteberends8730]

In fact this was obligatory in The Netherlands. Shops, schools, and public transport. Plus rules about the area of green around apartment buildings.

[@ronald3836]

@homie3461 interesting!

[@rogerwilco2]

One thing that is important to understand is that the Dutch have a continuous culture of improvement. Our ministry of transportation for example, has the goal to make at least one improvement to each project it does compared to the last one. Each time a crossing, a road, a roundabout gets designed or redesigned, it should be safer, cheaper, more efficient. For ALL users, not just the cars. We don't build to a minimum standard that hasn't been updated in half a century like many places in North America. Even our Constitution gets near constant updates.

[@iansilverii8615]

If we look at individual cities and states as laboratories for reducing car usage and increasing bike usage like the Netherlands did, we can prove the same point! Excellent video, always look forward to these.

[@distilled-earth]

Thanks for watching!!

[@vylesteneauto1852]

There is no need to reduce car using. I mean if you are weird, go to work jumping on one feet, but don't force others to do so. This new bike terror is really unpleasant and unacceptable.

[@dewolf123]

​@@vylesteneauto1852 Just say you're a lazy 600 lbs basement dweller and move on.

[@DefenestrateYourself]

What's unacceptable is forcing people to be dependent on cars. Car-dependent infrastructure is a lose-lose for everyone. Luckily, more people are becoming aware of this and fixing our cities to be people-centered, not car-centered. If you don't like that fact, you'll enjoy the car-dystopia that is Houston TX. We'll pray for you, sweaty @@vylesteneauto1852

[@marcovtjev]

Often overlooked in these stories (that focus on bikes only) is that in the seventies and eighties a lot of cities closed small roads in the city centres (specially the ones with many shops), and turned them into promenades, creating a fairly carfree inner city.

[@distilled-earth]

Interesting - I didn't know that!

[@missteacup9726]

​@@distilled-earth and the best part of this bit is that at first the shop owners protested heavily against this, convinced that they would lose costumers but....the opposite happened! BECAUSE of the banning of cars in these streets, people came on foot or bycicle. And they needed a rest and a drink so restaurants came to the streets. People started to spend a longer amount of time in these streets ' cos they had everything they could want to spend a day there and so they spend móre (instead of quik shopping to get just what you need and then return home.)The neighborhood came 'alive'. You can do this too. It takes time but it can be done. Groetjes/Greetings from The Netherlands.

[@jannetteberends8730]

This was the result of the political agenda of Orange Vrijstaat. No cars in the city center was on their political agenda. And people liked it. This was regular a discussion topic in our family at diners. My father was vise-president of the chamber of commerce, my brother was active in OV. Very animated meals were that.😊

[@ZZubZZero]

That was mentioned in this video though.......... At 8:25, when he mentions how "many cities have been replacing roads with car-free zones"

[@QuantumCairo]

Wow. As a person from the US, car free Sundays sound literally divine!

[@oetgaol]

The Dutch succes in biking also includes excellent public transportation and livable neighborhoods. In a twist of irony the Dutch have one of the best road networks for cars as well.

[@sachadee.6104]

yup. No potholes (from a Dutchie now living Canada, being shocked the first days by the state of the road surfaces).

[@shrgn]

Yet people always go about how cars need to get banned everywhere to achieve a livable city

[@oetgaol]

@@shrgn in the Netherlands cars aren't banned as such but they have to deal with one way streets and less convenient routes. That said in shopping/recreational areas car free zones do make a lot of sense.

[@theothertonydutch]

@@shrgn They are basically banned from city centers and aren't allowed to drive faster than 30 in neighbourhoods, with the exception of artery streets.

[@nixl3518]

Easy stuff for a tiny super rich country to do! On the other hand the weather sucks and is always threatened with flooding that sooner or later will be unavoidable.

[@Gisae]

I live in the Netherlands, cycle many thousands of kilometers a year and I see so many places where it can be improved. Cycling in other countries must be awful if the Netherlands is already cycling utopia.

[@oneofthesedays582]

It is especially in USA as so many live in places with few bike lanes and they rarely have segregated bike lanes so it's dangerous since roads especially in the western states even with cities have cars going fast.

[@NeuralNexusHub]

It's funny because even though driving cars got discouraged and biking/walking got prioritized The Netherlands is reported to be the best country in the world for driving. Most of this is caused by the principle of Systematic Safety, which reduces the amount of conflicts between modes of transport to an absolute minimum.

[@patrikprochazka7521]

it is also quite ironic that Netherlands has the highest highway density in Europe. They also have quite dense train infrstructure. This makes it efficient for the long trips between cities.

[@williamgeardener2509]

@@patrikprochazka7521 What's ironic about that? Bicycles are great for short distances, but if you need to travel from the North of the Netherlands all the way to the South, cars are the better option because it's too expensive to use public transport. Public transport in the Netherlands is set up according to the scheme that it brings you to any place you don't need to be at any time that you don't need to be there. Just some practical issues: If you have a lot of stuff for the dump, you can't get it there using public transport. If you need materials for a DIY project like long ends of wood or big sheets of ply, you can't take it with you on public transport. Same goes for lots of other stuff that you can't take home with public transport. Sure, you can have them delivered at an excessive charge, but why would I do that when I have a car?

[@ronaldderooij1774]

Step 1 is allow mixed zoning, so you have shops and work nearby your house. It takes time to take effect but you will see results in 20 years time. Without this step, the car will be king forever.

[@melluzi]

Car is the king because it's more convenient. It's funny how Dutch dealers don't even offer proper versions of certain brands because the taxes are insane. People don't switch to bikes voluntarily, only if you force them. Not because of the presence of bike lanes network but expensive parking and streets closed for cars. Sure, the US is another extreme but expecting somebody biking in Phoenix at +45 degrees would be just dumb.

[@avinashreji60]

@@melluzi first mistake having a large city in the desert in the first place. Climate change will destroy it anyways

[@distilled-earth]

💯

[@Basic190]

Have you ever been in ghe Netherlands?

[@dutchdisney]

@@melluzi Bullshit. I have a car, but I chose to bike more often than driving. Because it is more convenient. And it is more convenient, because in a 1 mile radius I have great public transport (metro, train and busses), multiple supermarkets, multiple pre-schools, middle-schools and high-schools, a hospital, multiple sports facilities and recreation. In a 5 mile radius you can add a University, an airport, cruise port, major soccer stadiums, etc to the list. Cycling to work is much faster than driving, even with great car infrastructure simply because cars occupy more road for the same amount of people, who all want to drive to work on Monday morning and are stuck in traffic. So no, people don't only cycle because cars are discouraged

[@Andrea-lj4jg]

I agree that the netherlands is the world's leading nation when it comes to transportation alternative to cars. But, despite not being mentioned in the video, It's kinda funny how almost everyone think that the dutch were the first ones to imagine and implement car-free cities: that's not true. The first city in europe which closed its city center to cars is Siena, Tuscany. Siena is a medieval city with around 50.000 inhabitants which hasn't changed much since the middle ages, it's still surrounded by its city walls and the roads are narrow and all but unfriendly to motorized traffic, so in the early 1960's due to almost unbearable amount of cars the municipality begun to consider how to solve the problem, and in 1965 the Major Fazio Fabbrini decided that the only way for the city to survive intact was to close most of the city center to cars, and to priorize walking. In 1965. 10 years before the dutch begin their anti-car crusade. It's rarely mentioned but the then major of amsterdam Ivo Samkalden decided to go visit Siena in order to learn how they managed to get rid of cars from the city center. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to belittle the netherlands or anything, but I think we should remember who first decided to priorize humans over cars in europe... Major Fabbrini died in 2018, and he said that banning cars from the city center was the best thing he had done in his life, and that history will prove him right. He was correct, as history has proven him right; what we can do Is at least remember him. Cheers

[@ronald3836]

I did not know this. Indeed an achievement to be proud of.

[@Canolyy]

The quality of the content is amazing!! As someone from Chile that lives in the Netherlands I always express how biking is one of the best things the dutch have. I really hope one day governments realize the benefits of introducing propper bike lanes to cities because it literally changes lives

[@matiasortiz6768]

Que suerte tienes de vivir en Países bajos, Chile está a años luz de ser algo siquiera parecido en infraestructura de bicis ajajaj tamos cagaos

[@marcelmoulin3335]

Albeit a Dutchman, I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. I left the depressing auto-centric US in 1986 for the UK. In 2019, I realised my dream of retiring in the fatherland. I promptly sold my car. I now walk, bicycle or take public transport everywhere. I live in beautiful Middelburg, and each day brings me unbridled joy. Am I in heaven?

[@sachadee.6104]

Recognize the story. Emigrated to Canada in 2005. Now spending close to 1/4 year in Netherlands and anticipating to return here when retired because in rural Canada there seems to be little use for the elderly.

[@marcelmoulin3335]

@@sachadee.6104 Is the care for the elderly in Canada as bad as it is in the US?

[@faheemabbas3965]

@@marcelmoulin3335 they’re basically the same. There’s a reason Canada is called America’s “top hat”. North America is hopeless and a lost cause IMO when it comes to getting rid of cars and being pedestrian friendly. Unless it’s NYC of course, but that’s it. American (especially) urbanism is dead. And if North America isn’t a lost cause, then it’s gonna take them at least 150 years to even start heading in a good direction for improving infrastructure for pedestrians and car-free transport with the political mindset and problems they have right now. I’ll just move to the Netherlands.

[@marcelmoulin3335]

@@faheemabbas3965 Faheem, there is a good bit of credence in your comments. What a sorrowful, frustrating situation. Perhaps moving to the Netherlands is the solution!

[@sachadee.6104]

@@marcelmoulin3335 I don't know how elderly care is in the USA. My concern is more that if you live in Canada OR USA and you are not able to drive a car anymore it is very hard, almost impossible to move around independently. In the Netherlands there is almost never snow on the ground and there is no need to drive a car because you can get around in one of the special-care vehicles (tricycle, mobility scooter, handbike, a.s.o) using the many bike lanes. And/or use public transport to get to further away destinations.

[@crytocc]

There's another important planning aspect that wasn't covered in your video: there are separate 'primary route networks' for different modes of travel in many Dutch cities, and they are generally deigned such that cyclists can cut through all sorts of places and have a pretty direct route to where they're going, whereas cars have to go the long way around. This is a big part of what makes cycling appealing over driving!

[@warismysoul]

aaand TOTAL CONTROL in Smart Cityes

[@muthuvel6035]

Great Video! If India were to adopt the Netherlands' bike-friendly infrastructure, it could have a huge positive impact on health, the environment, and traffic congestion. It would be exciting to see India become a leader in cycling infrastructure.

[@HulaHoopingHannah]

7:49 Ann Arbor Michigan has been redoing the bike lanes and streets around campus and since completing the project they have effectively made it an absolute pain to drive through, so the result is that I’ve been avoiding it. Their plan is definitely working and I love it.

[@distilled-earth]

That's awesome!

[@sachadee.6104]

Great result !!!! YEAH for the project accomplishment.

[@roseypls]

What I'm really hoping for is an extension of the dedicated bike lanes throughout the rest of the city, at least on the main roads outside of downtown. That's the only way I can see bike usage really shooting up.

[@HulaHoopingHannah]

@@roseypls 1000% agreed. As soon as you’re on any of the outer roads it’s hell for biking. They keep building new apartments and developments but without bike infrastructure the traffic and congestion and walkability will not improve and the city will not be any closer to reaching their emissions goals.

[@berendharmsen]

You could perhaps also have mentioned that the consequence of the pro-bike, anti-car trend wasn't just that we pestered people out of their cars. It was a win-win proposition, because the people that need to drive cars - and there are a lot of them - now have more space on the roads and actually experience faster commutes now as well. Right now, the next stage is turning roads in large cities into 'semi-bike zones', meaning that basically all roads become bike roads where cars are only allowed at 'bicycle speeds' of at most 30 km/h. There are several sections here in Amsterdam already set up like this. I'm a frequent car user myself and I absolutely love this. You still move continually, without traffic jams, surrounded by bikes and pedestrians. It's not a zero-sum situation, where the cars necessarily lose out over the bikes. They both win.

[@stokbrood]

One big difference you've missed between the US and The Netherlands is that the US seperates residential areas from commercial areas and making them barely accessible without a car. While The Netherlands has commercial zones within residential zones.

[@CrimsonSlug]

Don't tell US politicians that bike lanes will save children's lives. They will ban them outright.

[@distilled-earth]

😔

[@faheemabbas3965]

I’ll just move to the Netherlands at that point. America is a lost cause in terms of being pedestrian friendly. People should honestly just give up telling them to change and let them suffer with cars for 200 years.

[@joostprins3381]

In 1988, the European Soccer Championship we had the semi final Germany against the Netherlands, it was where a lot frustration came out (also of the lost final in 1974). One of the big signs in the stadium was “ Opa, ik heb je fiets gevonden” (Grandpa, I found your bike!), relating to the war where the Germans stole our bikes.

[@maidenekker]

I am Dutch, so for me this is so obvious. I got rid of my car because I did not need it anymore. I walk or cycle to my workplace and I use the train to visit my friends or family. But the change in the seventies and eighties provided this walkable and bikable cities. I remember the car-free sundays, we went rollerskating on the highways. That made a great impression on me, that dependancy on oil, and how the world politics influenced our live.

[@frisianmouve]

The public transport strikes as of late make me rethink if I don't need a car though. I hope it's just temporary and I can get to work without a car ON TIME again soon. Otherwise I'll just buy a cheap car

[@inflatable2]

Promoting biking and public transport etc is great, but the whole retoric of we do not need cars at all and can still live our lifes as we did with cars is just nonsense, even in bike-utopia the Netherlands.. I know, been living there all my life for over 52 year already.. I still bike a lot as well in my home town and area, and sometimes use public transport, but there's still plenty of situations and activities I need my car for.. Without it would simply not be possible or I would have to limit myself way to much..

[@sachadee.6104]

@@inflatable2 yes. You have a point. If one wants to venture outside of the bigger cities or away from train centrals and don't can use a NS-bicycle, one needs a car, BUT... It's not the same as in N-America where in many places it's IMPOSSIBLE to go anywhere at all without a car. I live in rural Canada and MUST have a car. But if staying in Netherlands for 2 months only need a car once in a while. Can go around by bicycle or train most of the time.

[@theothertonydutch]

@@frisianmouve The prices of public transport are ridiculous too.

[@exeuropean]

And you live in a major city. Also you have no disability.

[@MrHvleeuwen]

Oh man that old man parking his car in his house, I forgot I had forgotten that video. Beautiful

[@distilled-earth]

He's amazing!

[@BrianRPaterson]

Excellent mini documentary. I'm a sucker for bike stuff. But this is put together so professionally, its a joy for anyone to watch and listen Live long and keep pedalling!

[@distilled-earth]

Thank you!!

[@ronnie9187]

Public transport is also a big thing to get people out of their cars. In Amsterdam around 1m people live in the city but 1.5m live in suburbs. It is the combination of bikes and public transport that get peoplel away from their cars from everyday drive. Next, what also is a major thing: in Amsterdam you will find much more local shops on walking distance then in any US city. The purchase behaviour is very different. People walk or bike to a local small supermarket or grocery store several times a week, where in the US you have less groceries, but more giant supermarkets where people drive 10 or 20 miles to do their weekly or biweekly shopping.

[@distilled-earth]

Ya the transit in the Netherlands is amazing!

[@therealdutchidiot]

@@distilled-earth And yet we complain, because it's not good enough. Us Dutch people need some perspective.

[@vylesteneauto1852]

Yes, public transport is amazing. You can go 2 hours in a crowded place full of smelly people or do the same trip in 20 minutes by car. That is no-brainer!

[@DutchLabrat]

And education!!! Children in the Netherlands are expected to be able to navigate traffic independently at a young age and are taught traffic lessons for cycling in school. This includes practical exams in real traffic. You can't just drop a load of infra in a country without teaching people how to use it. And car drivers must have experienced cycling to appreciate some of the rules. You see that with tourists in Dutch cities, they are often a menace to cyclists.

[@paulvanhooijdonk4626]

Very informative video! Nicely explaining all the different aspects in the process towards a less car-dependant society.

[@distilled-earth]

Thank you!

[@gireeshgprasad7589]

Love the way this channel is coming along!

[@distilled-earth]

Glad you're liking the videos!

[@ThoughtworthyCo]

Such a well done video! The writing, editing, the pacing, and how informative it is... we know the channel is pretty new but we're surprised to see how little subscribers you have for such quality work. Can't wait to see more, keep it up! 💪

[@amiraboodi2075]

Thank you very much for sharing this beautiful and informative video with us.

[@nerdonspeed3493]

your video is the best summary of how netherland reach car-free. U list the consistent advocaies and small decision in a good time order: build bike lanes in Hauge an Tilburg then realise we need to build the entire network of bike through out a city, then make parking expensive, then make it a pain to drive and safe to bike (traffic calming) and finally the car free zone. I think every bike advocacy channels should share your video

[@distilled-earth]

Thank you!!

[@jooproos6559]

Eeh,we are NOT car free,we are car low!

[@nerdonspeed3493]

uhh i really like this type of points u add, its actually really amazing. Like about the spreading perception of children being killed and the guy who has his child death by car raise an article then people gathering to bike protest and espescially policy on car-free sunday. Those a non physical change but a great tribute of those collective "cosistent advocacy". It really does the job of educating people on how its like to car-free

[@claire2088]

great vid 😁 gives me optimism for some of the car bound places

[@distilled-earth]

Thank you!

[@thekalevar]

love your aproach! keep up the good work

[@Earth098]

Brilliant video!! Keep up the good work!!

[@anarchisttechsupport6644]

Step 1: have no car manufacturers to lobby against sanity Edit: no, the US isnt special.

[@distilled-earth]

💯💯💯

[@townazier]

US constitution and its lobbying being legal is an overlooked step -1.

[@Freeze014]

In that era there were Dutch car manufacturers AND lobbying is just as bad here. It literally took mass protesting and an energy crisis.

[@MLWitteman]

You do know that one of the biggest oil companies is Dutch? Royal Dutch Shell has played a big role in the rise of the car depended culture around the world.

[@atropatene3596]

There were plenty of lobbyists for that side. Royal Dutch Shell as someone mentioned for example. And Veilig Verkeer Nederland (safe traffic Netherlands) was on their side too. Don't pretend like the USA is something special that way.

[@carolinavanderlande4904]

Great informative video! I’d like to add one thing though. In 1975 (finalized by 1977) the city of Groningen decided to implement the revolutionary Traffic Circulation Plan, despite enormous resistance from business owners. The plan divided the city centre in 4 quarters with a one way ringroad around it. It made it impossible to go from one quarter to another by car without using the ringroad. Cyclists could travel from a to b in a straight line, while cars had to take a detour, so a trip would often be faster by bike than by car. This plan was so successful that even business owners started to promote it and other cities copied it. The result of this is that after 4.5 decades Groningen is now one of the, if not the most bike friendly city in the Netherlands or even the world. m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKeWaX1tiLB7lck

[@distilled-earth]

Whoa very interesting!

[@jannetteberends8730]

Just wrote a comment that the role of ‘stop de kindermoord’ is highly exaggerated. This is prove for my statement. The people behind this plan were bike people. They must have been working toward this result for years. Far before ‘stop de km’ even started.

[@ronald3836]

@@jannetteberends8730 Max van den Berg and Jacques Wallage who were behind the "verkeerscirculatieplan" joined the city council of Groningen in 1972. They may well have been influenced by the publicity around "stop de kindermoord". Of course there will have been multiple factors that gradually changed how people thought about cars.

[@theothertonydutch]

​ @Distilled If you ever get the chance, visit Groningen, it is great! Going out is the easiest thing and my cousin just opened up a tapas bar right across the Pathé cinema which is about a 5 minute walk from the central station. Everything in the center is walkable, but with a bicycle you're a lot faster. I live outside of the city on the outskirts and it takes about 15 minutes on a bicycle to get to the center. It's just as fast and in some cases even faster than public transport.

[@warismysoul]

bla bla bla SMart City=Total Control

[@milancollin1819]

Great video and shows that change is around the corner and for sure not impossible. We moved as a fam to Portugal, just under Lisbon and brought our bikes from the Netherlands. We are cycling 90% of our daily tasks, school, sport, office etc. The town were we live here is that Dutch city from the 1970's going into change. The are more and more bicycle lanes coming over here and when they change a street they always build a path into it. We are just two years here but it is moving into the right direction. Not all car drivers here understand how this works and stay behind the bicycle instead of passing us. Then we give them extra spaces to show we are aware of the car. Together we make that change. I believe also with the electric bikes there is a fantastic new movement for the longer distances and also the older people that will take the bicycle. So it is coming. Thanks for making this video and giving a platform to make that change.

[@mcolisekim]

its crazy the negative backlash to bike lanes. people dont like them, because they take up parking spaces, and they feel like they are empty, so a waste of money. and the store owners think that without cars, and parking close to their store , nobody will shop. its too bad , but thats the north american perspective. and there is aloat of push back! despite all the advantages, its hard to change peoples behaviour.

[@jonathanhiller_]

so excited for this!

[@andrenicodemus]

8:33 one short clip in this sequence (nice tiled promenade) is of Købmagergade, in Copenhagen. But yeah, these pedestrianized streets are an incentive to biking here in Denmark too.

[@jappiechuloo]

From 8:25 til 8:33 is Groningen, the North of the netherlands (my home town)

[@khalilbatah7199]

Awesome video, thank you so much.

[@Taru_FinnDutch]

Lots of history and info about biking, who would have guessed this can even a be a full topic on its own!😂 nice video🤗

[@emiliardov7967]

Loved the video ❤️

[@distilled-earth]

Thank you!!

[@robertbheatcoker8638]

I grew up in the canary islands, we were always playing alone...10 to 15 years old... and cycling in big groups, I even remember go with my 6 years old friend by bicycle for some km Then at the middle of the 90's came an era of "no bicycle on the street", then in the 2000 in most the towns and cities the main streets began to transform into pedestrian areas (instead of car ways) i remember hehe people saying "where am I going to park?", then the people understand that the town or the city is a place to live and to be with others... cafees, pubs, restaurants, terraces.. etc, now we understood is much better..which politician call "increase the local economy" and it is true. Each time you convert a street into a pedestrian areas, new jobs are created and new small business, of course the quality of live increase. In the 2018 or so, the entire capital of Las Palmas was "breaking" the city to make cycling roads, a lot of drivers complaints, but now... it is a nice place. I am living now in Ireland, I cycle every day to work, the people here in Ireland are not really use ot cycle.. and looks surprise (because the weather) but I don't care,..the Netherlands has the same weather. I just were a water proof chaquet.. that is all. The irish looks surprise but the understand it. On the other hand, some colleagues from other countries where the car is "mandatory" they tell me several times..that I should or I must have a car,,..one of then even say hehe you are not going to find a girlfriend if you dont have a car hehe that guy is not from Europe and is not use to....that was the mentality that we in the canaries had in the 90s, so... The society play a rol and the government have to "produce" the change.

[@SikkyCheesecake]

I mean isnt taking your girlfriend on the back of a bike way more romantic too than taking her in a car somewhere?

[@robertbheatcoker8638]

@@SikkyCheesecake hehehe ironically that exact guy told me afterwards, what are you going to do to take your girlfriend in the back of your bike? (in a mocking way) hehe what that guy doesn't know is that, indeed hehe years ago I took my girlfriend from then in the back of my bike 😀

[@mihirjain6462]

good video!! its like you too a bunch of videos from not just bikes and distilled em into one video lol

[@chaseberggren6778]

Superior video in its presentation, perspective, and photography. Great historical points including that of the city of Delft's influence on the nation's bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

[@jhlim]

Thank you Michael for this amazing reportage. I'm happy that my city Montreal had been doing the same in past decade. But I better understand why they saw truly to make driving so difficult in the city in order to get more cyclists on the roads.

[@I.amthatrealJuan]

Your channel provides high-quality content with very digestible presentation. Very underrated Keep doing this and you have huge potential for growth, much like the Dutch bike infrastructure once.

[@revatiy]

Great video, thank you!

[@nosebleed03]

Great video, good luck with your new channel!

[@jeroenbakker52]

500 to 14! that really makes me proud of my country. Anti-car measures are not universally popular though

[@distilled-earth]

Pretty amazing results!

[@frefri4628]

The idea that you have to "make it a pain to drive" is incorrect. Driving in The Netherlands is easier and more pleasant for motorists than elsewhere *because* the roads aren't clogged with other motorists who *don't need to be there*. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmm1g3hop6mqas0 Also, when prices rise for parking or road tolls in the middle of the city, that's not deliberate gouging just to spite motorists, it's really just a decrease in active subsidies to motorists. Middle of the city real estate is expensive, but in most parts of the world, parking and driving in the middle of the city doesn't reflect that cost, because it's heavily subsidized. It's an inefficient waste of money and potential space that can and should end. Don't get me wrong haha I love this vid and hate to nitpick but I feel like those points could have been framed better.

[@arturobianco848]

You have to make it a pain compaired to take the bike. Wich as a side effect actualy makes taking the car much better. Stranglu enough making driving easier actualy cloggs up the roads. Look up induced demand why that is so.

[@estranhokonsta]

Well you are nitpicking. But youtube comment section is here for exactly that. I will also add my nitpick and say that "make it a pain to drive" is not incorrect. At most you could say that it was not correctly contextualized, but let's be sincere. The context of that quote was more than clear in the video. It only becomes unclear when you generalise the quote to mean anything one wants it to be. But i do understand you nitpick. These days it seem that we have to explain every little thing to the extreme to avoid some random people misusing it for whatever random reason.

[@frefri4628]

Stop nitpicking my nitpick 🙃 I do get the context but I still think it's a bad take. "In order to make cities walkable and bikeable you need to make it a pain to drive" - that will be the takeaway for many motorists watching, so they will remain opposed to walkability and bikeability and continue to think of it as a zero sum game where improvements in walkability and bikeability must always by definition come at a cost to them. That simply isn't true, and it's unfortunate it gets framed that way.

[@estranhokonsta]

@@frefri4628 Unfortunately i cannot nitpick your nitpick to my nitpick of your nitpick 🤯 because i have already forgotten my reasoning...

[@michaelsweeney2981]

@@frefri4628 Actually, it is true. We can slice this up in lots of ways, but the bottom line is that cars are the problem. The reason why The Netherlands has cities that are good places to drive is because the Dutch have managed to make walking and biking better and easier in those places than driving. Maybe that isn't the sales pitch, but it is the reality.

[@stuarthirsch]

Excellent video, should be required viewing for all mayors, city council persons, state, and federal congress persons, and everyone in a DOT.

[@michaelpasternoc]

Really digging this vibe. Awesome work.

[@distilled-earth]

Thank you!

[@AdvdW]

Demotivating of using a car in The Netherlands, is still necessary. The main motivation now is the environment and The Netherlands is the second most densely populated country of Europe.There are still a lot of cars. Not everyone likes the demotivation of cars. Sometimes it's a real struggle. But I am proud of my country the we have a bicycle culture and the infrastructure for bikes is really good.

[@billweberx]

EVs are coming...

[@louisdewit4429]

What’s the first one ? Monaco ? Vatican state ?

[@neygercey7899]

I was in Amsterdam for a month last year and loved the city and infrastructure for walking and biking. It should be seen as an example for other cities around the world to prioritize public transport such as trams, bus, trains, metro. And bikes, naturally. The almost flat country helps a lot and makes it easier fot the bikers. In hillier cities it would be more difficult to convince people to exchange car by bikes, but I believe the electric bikes would compensate the effort. Congratulations to the dutch people and its government.

[@indeovertuin]

Very informative, thank you

[@oh...hi.]

Your production game is on point for such a small channel

[@mahanmark0]

You have to see Dutch cities in person to fully appreciate what this sort of infrastructure means and how it plays out in everyday life. I live in Italy, a country that worships the car. Visiting Holland was such an eye opening experience for me, especially as I am a cyclist. It's like waking up in a cyclist's paradise, something that I can only dream about here in Italy. What really astonishes me is that there isn't a coordinated effort between EU countries to learn from and copy the Dutch experience. Why such shortsighted lack of planning? The Dutch could teach the rest of Europe how to do this, they're the proven experts. Climate change is going to ruin our world and here we are still using the car as though it were business as usual, in 2023. Meanwhile the Dutch are quietly cycling everywhere and showing the rest of us how it could be done.

[@nixl3518]

You also need to be aware that Dutch cities were no different than any other European city until post World War II. They had no more bike infrastructure than any other European city. The simple reason was that the technology of the bike was just too horrible until then. At that time though, they made intelligent decisions that very few others made! But the fact that Holland is flat as a pancake, makes the option of biking possible and a lot more attractive. No matter how many bike lanes you make, people will not take to them if they have to struggle going uphill in one direction or the other. Too many factors are needed to qualify an urban environment to be bike friendly and very few cities fulfill them, just by virtue of their geography! The introduction of electrically assisted bikes and scooters has made a vast difference in the last five or so years, but the fact remains that a very small percentage of the population is capable of biking the way you do, so don't expect to see too many copies of Dutch cities all around the globe. It's just a fantasy that will never happen.

[@TurdBoi-tf5lf]

italy is very hilly. Biking not that easy

[@nickgoogle4525]

@@nixl3518 you know that now e-bikes exist?

[@nixl3518]

No!! I had no idea@@nickgoogle4525 What a revelation!!! Thanks for the info!! But, so what??? Did you take the time to READ my comment, specially the next to last sentence? I have written extensively elsewhere on how the "e" or "e"less bike does not provide a solution to most of society's need to move around! Look it up!! If in fact it was the panacea to our problems, it would have been implemented by now everywhere, hills or flats, but it is so obviously NOT the solution. Fantasies usually stay fantasies, while reality turns out differently.

[@guilo123456789]

​@nickgoogle4525 you know how expensive they are?

[@donmc1950]

In the city where I live the pro Cycling candidate for Mayor lost to the " stop the war on the car candidate" . On a positive note we will soon have more speed radar cameras , the revenue from which will hopefully be used to improve some cycling infrastructure.

[@distilled-earth]

Thanks for sharing!

[@donmc1950]

@@distilled-earth In our mayoral election the core of the city who voted for more cycling infrastructure were outvoted by the suburbs who wanted better roads. As our climate gets warmer the cost of repairing the potholes in our 6 thousand km of roads will continue to increase. At some point the reality of the true cost of our roads will sink in and we will take more seriously the need for improved cycling infrastructure.

[@anouk6644]

There seems to be an assumption in the US that if you are pro cycling you are against cars. As a Dutch person this is so black and white to me. Yes, building a good bike infrastructure network costs money at the start, but when more people get out of their car and onto a bike that means less cars on the road, less congestion and ultimately needing less expansion of the road network. Also maintenance will become cheaper because of less extensive use. All in all it will be a win-win situation. There is a nice video by Not Just Bikes on this topic about why US cities are going bankrupt if you’re interested.

[@yellfire]

Fear is more powerfull than rationality as so often turns out

[@kaasmeester5903]

I think here in the Netherlands we struck a good balance in most places. Biking infrastructure is a given, never an afterthought added to roads designed for cars. But it's being designed without having some sort of ideological "war on the car" As a result, cars, bikes or public transport are all good options, depending on how far you need to go or what you need to carry. Recently, some roads are being redesigned to be more bike-centric but that has mostly to do with safety on those roads. If you want to get around town by car, that's still a viable option.

[@EvilTaco]

Pretty cool to see Delft was one of the first cities to embrace bicycle networks! 6:27 I think I also recognize this bridge lol (Hambrug in Delft)

[@mandje2002]

Fun Fact 7:15 This video is from Belgium, it is not a Dutch license plate but a Belgian one...😉😁

[@townazier]

Surely you find plenty Belgian license plates, when driving in Netherlands.

[@markuserikssen]

And 8:34 is Denmark... 😅

[@Elaud]

It's Eugène from Liedekerke, Belgium (indeed). An old fragment from tv programme 'Man Bijt Hond'. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5zWooqIpqqZr5I

[@steve101968]

I drove in Amsterdam. I can attest to it being a nightmare. There signs are often on a by the way you should of turned of there. I do really want to go back there one day and cycle ir

[@mateombar]

Very great explained Thank you

[@emrekaram]

What a beatiful topic thanks for the video

[@repelsteeltje90]

The Netherlands isn't a bicycle utopia (although compared to the US it probably is). The public space in most cities is still predominantly reserved for cars. Yes, we have made a decent start, but there's still a lot of room for improvement.

[@distilled-earth]

It's a lot better than most countries!

[@gabrielgarcia7554]

It is literally better than all other countries in the entire world.

[@luuclucas]

This is really a matter of perspective

[@saynotop2w]

the best isn’t flawless. but the dutch is where everyone else should take inspiration from

[@turtle4llama]

From an American perspective, being able to bike 1km and not die is a cycling utopia.

[@MaartenKuif]

I like this video, but you make it sound like it is awful to be driving a car in the Netherlands. It's not. More bikes equals less cars on the road. So, if you do need to drive, it's actually much more pleasurable when compared to the congested cities in the USA. The channel Not Just Bikes made a good video about that.

[@B0K1T0]

6:12 I grew up in Delft in the 80s and 90s, but I didn't know that what was completely normal for me at that time (in the early days viewed from sitting at the steering seat or on the back of my mother's bike), was actually quite something special, even within the country 🙂

[@williamfence566]

As a brit I recently visited holland and was pleasantly surprised at the infrastructure. As a small densely populated island I don't see why The Uk couldn't begin this journey to relieving congestion and lowering the fatality rate. As the US it's vast with huge distances to cover so I would suggest the need to act is less.

[@collectioneur]

"I don't see why the Uk couldn't begin this journey"... well, you answer yourself: "as a brit I recently visited holland and was pleasantly surprised". We are neighbours, but the British don't seem interested in how things are done on the continent. There is much to learn from each other...

[@williamfence566]

@@collectioneur Some brits don't seem interested. I'm happy to say I voted to remain. No systems of government are perfect but isolation is not the way to go.

[@dj0-]

they're trying to implement 15-minute cities and LTNs in london but a lot of people seem to think it's a conspiracy theory because they don't understand what a "15-minute city" is

[@LeafHuntress]

The safety bicycle was invented in Coventry. England was a bicycle heaven which had the highest bike-share ever, in the world. Higher than NL. Yes, this was before the war. But i would so like to see you Limeys remember your proud bicycle history. (i agree, brexit sucks, sorry)

[@robertboender5816]

Change regulations and build more European like cities and become financial healthier. Mixed housing with local businesses.

[@criss1461]

This is the kind of future I wish for humanity. To take a page or a whole chapter out of Netherlands book, adopt the bike and public transport way of lifestyle. Europe can do it, Asia can do it, developed and developing countries can do it, America can do it (granted, they need a whole redesign of neighbourhoods)

[@user-bp8yg3ko1r]

Great video, your content is amazing!

[@distilled-earth]

Thank you so much!

[@martijnkeisers5900]

Great vid btw!

[@simonassouline1230]

The Netherlands is the perfect role model for other cities and countries to adapt! The environment and people’s health would drastically improve by 10 fold!

[@martijnkeisers5900]

Take inspiration from the USA is mostly a very bad idea..

[@TheSuperappelflap]

For those not in the know, that video of the old man parking his red car is one of the most legendary cultural events in the history of our country. It just perfectly sums up what it is to be Dutch in 2 minutes.

[@RobRoordink]

If your interested, look for the KZbin channel Not just bikes, made by a North American. He show how much better traffic management, cityplanning, public health issues, traffic safety are in cities where people can make a choice between walking, cycling and driving a car.

[@distilled-earth]

Love Not Just Bikes!

[@RobRoordink]

@@distilled-earth you know bicycledutch too?

[@exeuropean]

Not all people live in Amsterdam. Many people live in the countryside. We need and use cars to get around. Also many people have a problem with walking etc. Now they cannot go anywhere. So if you love discrimination, come on over.

[@Summer-tv7rz]

Ok car loving cry baby, keep on polluting the air.

[@brozius]

I can see that you are not from the Netherlands.

[@xshme]

Fun fact: the netherlands is more then amsterdam, we also have a countryside

[@iambarks2814]

Rural people can still use their cars, you are talking rubbish

[@mipmipmipmipmip]

The whole "Netherlands is great for bikes" propaganda forgets that 2/3 of the country is more dispersed than the rest, and this also connects to an economic divide. If you can afford that €1M home in Amsterdam city center, yes everything is within biking range. But e.g. if you live on the countryside where there are less and less hospitals, you can be hours of bike/public travel away from the nearest hospital. Also note that in recent elections, right wing parties got a majority by a landslide, so emission lowering measures will be opposed. These harsh realities don't fit the marketing speak, it's cheaper to just paste a bit if the prime minister on a bike, but anyone reporting would figure this out with the slightest bit of research.

[@nikolaylyutskanov5925]

One of the most inspiring videos that I've watched recently!

[@distilled-earth]

I'm happy to hear that!

[@saranbhatia8809]

Great compilation and we need Walking Cities all across!!!

[@Torsan1977]

A fantastic and very emotional video.

[@shivam3839]

Great video Inspiring me to switch to a bike

[@enmorot]

Great video!

[@AndrewRevkin]

Fantastic video Michael!

[@distilled-earth]

Thank you!!

[@kkemp221]

In new towns like Lelystad and Almere they built neighborhoods with a grocerystore school and other public services at close range to stimulate biking and walking.

[@Mariekirstineln]

The clip at 8:35 is from Copenhagen, DK, not the Netherlands. Beside this it is a great video, you are covering a lot of important aspects of city planning, which is important information for both city planners, municipalities and citizens.

[@carolinehaythornthwaite2965]

I've always been impressed by the Dutch planning system and their bike lanes. In fact, I've visited the Netherlands many times since the 1970's, but have never seen those "traffic jams " shown in your images. Perhaps I've just been lucky!

[@sachadee.6104]

ohh dear Caroline. Traffic jams are abundant still. BUT they are mostly outside of the inner cities. On the high ways.

[@carolinehaythornthwaite2965]

@@sachadee.6104 lucky you.

[@colinsutherland201]

It's also worth noting Delft was and still is a college town with a very good civil engineering program

[@lindaliao2790]

thank you for this beautifully written video. it warmed my heart to see that people like you exist and are making content to inspire more people!!

[@sanjeetsingh7588]

It's just terrific 💕

[@jazznik2]

Very interesting video. But what seemed to be missing was info re: mass transit systems in Netherlands cities. If you are going to discourage using cars, you need to provide adequate public transit so people can still get to and from work and visit businesses in city centers or else business and the economy will suffer. I suspect they also have good public mass transit in the Netherlands but I didnt hear you mention it.

[@yesid17]

not every day a youtube video fills me with hope. thank you.

[@DidiandHenry]

Great video mate, the shot at 8:33 is from Copenhagen though ;)

[@rikmarx107]

The dunes bike trails are my favorite , along the coastline obviously .

[@weirdkd54]

I'm a simple man. I see city infrastructure videos and I sub.

[@Romualdomgn84]

9:03 Obesity is not only related to the car lifestyle, but also to the type and quality of food. If a person eats junk food it doesn't matter whether he drives or bikes. In my country every family has at least 2 cars per family and nobody uses a bike to go anywhere. Food is mostly natural and organic. As a result, it is almost impossible to find people who are overweight.

[@thomasvanvoornveld8514]

Hey man, as a dutch viewer, great video! I was wondering what your audio/music source is?

[@jeroen2535]

In my city there were still a few car centred politicians in the 1970's, who decides to build wide road from east to west trough the city. This road crossed the most beautiful neighbourhood of the city with large villa's and a bit further a medieval castle gate. Non was spared. Beautiful villa's demolished and the 600 years old castle gate gone! Terrible!