Not Just Bikes: Why Many Cities Suck (But Dutch Cities Don't)

Jason Slaughter, creator of the urbanist KZbin channel Not Just Bikes, on what the rest of the world can learn from the Netherlands when it comes to urban livability, design, and mobility.
Original video that inspired the interview: • Why Many Cities Suck (...
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[@NotJustBikes]

Hey! I know that guy!

[@Murillos1]

Nice cut

[@therealdutchidiot]

Me too!

[@bertkassing8541]

Jason, I'm from Amsterdam (South), but I live in Hoofddorp. I really don't hate Amsterdam :-) My Mokum will always be my city.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

No you don't. You think you know him, but it might be at the time you are old and wise that you know him.

[@Paul_C]

Really? And here I was, thinking you had an older brother. The lighting let you down in the grey department. 😉

[@pr0wnageify]

I like how Jason puts it... Cities that prioritize cycling and car-free life aren't just good "for the climate", "for your health". They are just plain good places to live. Forget all those things that make it sound like it's some noble sacrifice, I just like walking to the store.

[@CaroFDoom]

​@N Fels kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmm1g3hop6mqas0 yep, a totally indoctrinated extremist that wants to delete cars entirely, definitely not someone advocating for the exact thing you're talking about where people will be able to use the mode of transport that is most convenient for the destination instead of everyone being forced into a car and causing congestion because there are no safe or convenient alternatives to being in a car

[@Traumglanz]

@N Fels What are you even taking about? How is the mobility rating low in Dutch cities? Or basically most European cities which more or less all allow for a car free life.

[@dawatcherz]

@N Fels have you ever lived somewhere where people don't need a driver's licence because they do not need to have a car to do anything and still be able to do everything?

[@dawatcherz]

@N Fels the only restriction to jobs would be the jobs you'd need to drive a vehicle for, it's not the journey to and from work that's a problem. even if i worked in a different city like amsterdam or rotterdam i could get there in under an hour. it would actually take more time to go by car to most places and that's not even counting the time to park. and getting to and from work would be the only thing i'd need public transportation for. i don't need it in daily life or during the weekend. also, public transport doesn't need to be filthy and overcrowded. that is a choice that has been made somewhere by someone that doesn't care and that is supported by people that don't call it out.

[@leandrog2785]

@N Fels You clearly have no idea of what it's like in places with good public transit (e.g. nowhere in the US). You're obviously what Jason in the video describes, someone who has grown up in the typical north american car-dependent sprawl and doesn't know anything else. Everything you're saying only applies to those places: - "your acces to jobs is restricted to jobs you can reach with public transport" In the Netherlands, the *entirety* of *all* major cities are very accessible by public transit of a quality so high that it's unimaginable to the typical American. And it's *fast*, faster than driving. And the same goes for inter-city travel: there is high-quality, comfortable, fast and frequent train service with enough capacity for commutters. And *rich* people use it too, because it's simply *better* than driving, even when ignoring the financial cost of owning and driving a car. Watch NJB's video "Why business parks suck", it adresses this topic very well. - "Unless you want to go sit in a hot bus together with the poor rural labourers for anywhere from 2,5 to 32 hours (which isn't even 1/3rd of that country). We've had to do it once, it sucks balls. Take 2,5 hours minus waiting time to do something that can be done in 1 hour. Utter waste of time." You're describing what public transit is like in the car-dependent hell which you take for granted. This only goes to show how much better it is in places where the urban planning isn't garbage.

[@RC-74]

Hey Jason, regarding your audience. I am a 72 year old retired American. Through watching your videos on KZbin I have realized why I was always happier when I lived in other countries. Never could put my finger on it, but what it boils down to is (as you've described) car dependency. I was always happier in places with a fair number of bikes and with reliable and affordable public transportation. I never put two and two together. Thank you!

[@jeroenrat6289]

And probably the possibility of having more human interaction (positive, not road rage) when walking, cycling, sitting on a bench, or having a drink outside a cafe enjoying the good weather when people passing by doing the same. Right?

[@marcelmoulin3335]

@@jeroenrat6289 Absolutely! Albeit a Dutchman, I grew up in American suburbia (Palo Alto, California) in the '60s and '70s, and I disliked it. The emptiness, ugliness, and dullness depressed me. I left the US in the '80s, and I made my way to the UK where I lived and worked for 31 years. Now retired, I live in glorious Middelburg where I can walk, cycle, or take the train. I no longer have a car! Life in Zeeland has brought me unbridled joy and daily sustenance. I feel alive. I am utterly gleeful, and those feelings of euphoria have not left me since my arrival in March 2019. By the way, Middelburg's historic, delightful, and charming city centre never disappoints me; there is always something to see and enjoy.

[@ABC-ABC1234]

@@jeroenrat6289 lol@ your last name!

[@karabeaner2145]

Same. 37 but he basically put words to my feelings about living in Japan and Spain

[@Fjodor.Tabularasa]

@@ABC-ABC1234 kleuter

[@danku-chan]

the comment about "a 15 year old waiting in their suburban home for their parents to get home to drive them somewhere" smacked me like a wet trout. this was EXACTLY my situation when i first discovered your channel.

[@Brian-bp5pe]

Are you referencing the fabled Monty Python Fish Dance? Yes, I remember that feeling all too well. Now I hate driving.

[@ncard00]

Please up the video quality to 4K60fps!

[@Sekir80]

@@ncard00 Not quite sure why you ask danku-chan to do that. Btw, what for? 1080p isn't enough to enjoy jason talking?

[@mrosskne]

​@@ncard00 the word is "increase". not "up". learn to speak like a human for fuck's sake.

[@Emdee5632]

KEEP IN MIND: The Netherlands weren't always ''bicycle heaven''. The traffic situation 60 or 50 years ago was like in other countries after WW2 - cities and streets getting busier and busier, more and more traffic deaths.... It was a conscious political decision to ban cars in city centres, to built special bicycle lanes etc. And even now in many older, narrow cities and streets there's not enough room for separate bicycle lanes. But you know what? Car owners and car drivers know that their OWN CHILDREN might be riding their bikes there. They themselves might be riding their bikes tomorrow or next week. So they watch out and drive carefully. Hopefully careful...

[@ronaldv_tm]

It didn't start with politics though: it began with organisations like "Stop de kindermoord" (Stop the murder of children) through actions in the center of Amsterdam, by illegally closing off streets to allow children to play without fear of getting driven over. Their protest actions raised awareness with politicians, who then began to take action to lower the number of accidents with pedestrians (children, mostly) and cyclists. And when the number didn't fall fast enough: the politicians introduced legislation making car drivers 50% liable in accidents with "slow traffic" by default. The other 50 liability can only be taken off your shoulder if you prove "gross negligence" of the "slow traffic". In short: car drivers are always liable for accidents. As a result, they do watch out, because it is going to cost them dearly if they don't.

[@weatheranddarkness]

there's a video about just this on his channel

[@tubab72]

@@ronaldv_tm ... Yes, resistance against "The Car" absolutely came from "bottom up". Either because people demanded safety for their children or because people just refused to let old monumental inner cities be demolished for broad car-lanes and parking spaces. Still a LOT of damage was done from the 60s to the end 80s by building hideous "parking garages" and/or "shopping centers" but not nearly as much as was planned. And look now, those cities that got "modernised" are rapidly dying economically. People rather order from internet than having to go there. It is the cities who kept their traditional layout, with narrow streets, that flourish ! Only look at the cities that dumped their canals to make cars drive there .... almost ALL of them have serious plans to dig them open again and restore the old waterway canals !

[@foxceles]

he has an in deph video on that and mentions it often.

[@jannetteberends8730]

@@ronaldv_tm it started,with the Provos, with the white bicycle plan. Then Oranje Vrijstaat continued. In the sixties I demonstrated for a car free city center. Then there was the ENWB and stop the kindermoord. But the Provos were the ignition. They were the not just bikes for the Netherlands.

[@whazzat8015]

Cities need to be built around people who live in them, not just those who profit from them.

[@Masterpiece4590]

Underrated comment

[@izzelyy3189]

You should write books, inspiring stuff right here

[@mallusaih]

problem being everything in america is made for people who profit not the people who use the producy

[@trnstn1]

This comment seems to be targeted at the corporate boogeyman. However, the average single detached homeowner in North America has made tons of profit from owning highly desirable land- a majority of people actually own and live in these homes. Sure, Car makers and oil companies make profit from car dependent city planning but the average homeowner doesn’t want to give up their house either- so some people profit at the expense of others. The problem is a lot more nuanced than just pointing to “profit” as the problem.

[@whazzat8015]

@@trnstn1 Problem is , their house isn't worth more , their money is worth less. Speculators playing leveraged games of manipulation have pulled resources out of the system to their own ends. Capital gain if not reinvested does not build a company or a city. It is about creating value not profit. Using resources to build value , not personal empires, creates social value, recognized and used by the many not the few.

[@TAP7a]

It's nice to see a KZbinr who is both correct and also capable of coming across well in public speaking and interviews. Also major kudos to the interviewer, some really interesting perspectives and questions without being aggressive, love it

[@Bananabeacon]

Yea right? After it was over I audibly said "that was a great interview"! Great question's with good research behind them and Jason's answers who is both a great speaker and knows what he's talking about! Sometimes they were talking through eachother but other than that, great interview

[@MelGibsonFan]

It was a surprise because he’s a total fucking douche online… but then again, people act very different when interacting with others online.

[@nlzaaf]

Love how Jason stays on brand with the answer to the last question: “But that is a topic for a future video”. 😄

[@morninboy]

Previously I lived in a wealthy suburban neighbourhood in which the dogs were taken out for a walk daily. One time there was a teenager walking down the street and I mentioned to him that he was the first person I had seen walking on that road in TWO YEARS. Another sad aspect about living there was having dinner parties with doctors and a group of well educated people. Too often the conversations were about wealth and someones desire to own the new style Mercedes that was out. I now live in a small walkable mountain town where owning such an expensive car would invite ridicule. When walking to the village centre for groceries, mail or other things there are kids all over the place. Life is better now

[@meowtherainbowx4163]

As a guy in his early 20s who just finished college and met a wonderful lady who wants to move somewhere amazing with me, I’m very thankful for Jason’s channel. It’s really educational and helped me get into other channels focused on urban planning and civil engineering, such as City Beautiful and CityNerd.

[@TommyJonesProductions]

I live in Midtown Atlanta, which is very walkable/bikeable, but I get soo much pushback from people who live in the suburbs who think it's all traffic and crime here in the city because of the way local news sensationalizes crime stories. They could NEVER comprehend living without being a slave to their car. And let's be real: a lot of it is because they would rather sit in their steel box in traffic for an hour or two each day than live near "urban" people.

[@kelvincheng999]

Suborbinates could never comprehend. Greeting from Buckhead 😅

[@jmac3327]

But of course they could never comprehend living near urban people. Everybody should live in urban settings, and if they don't like the constant noise, the stench of food and grease wafting from restaurants; the constant wail of sirens responding to stabbings and shootings; the wonderful noise produced by drunks and revelers at bars and the total lack of any wild green space, then they should be sent to gulags. That should change their minds.

[@TommyJonesProductions]

@@jmac3327 It sounds like you get your entire view of city life from watching TV because living here is nothing like what you claim. And I don't mind if people live out in the suburbs and beyond, as long as we in the city can stop subsidizing it and they can pay their own way instead because their tax base doesn't cover the cost of maintaining their infrastructure.

[@jmac3327]

@@TommyJonesProductions I don't watch TV. My comments are based upon personal experience. I have lived in Tokyo, Japan, Mexico City, Mexico, New York City, New York, Washington, DC, San Jose, Costa Rica, Guadalajara, Mexico. I have traveled to and spent extended periods of time on business in Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Baltimore (a crime infested, hideous dump) and Phoenix--all large metropolitan areas. I completely agree that those who live in rural or suburban areas should pay their own way, as should those who live in urban areas. Unfortunately, most US citizens believe that they have a right to the resources of their co-citizens. Therefore, it is politically a non-starter to imagine that everybody would be responsible for paying for the resources that they use. Urban living, (as rural and suburban living), is geared toward a very specific demographic.

[@TommyJonesProductions]

@@jmac3327 why do you pretend that cities are smelly and crime ridden, then?

[@wdubbelo]

Man went from posting random vids about his life on Amsterdam to being seen as the Jesus of KZbin explainations on how to built better city's

[@Drakenvlieg]

He even made us watch paint dry 😂

[@user-gu9yq5sj7c]

Isn't calling Jason Jesus a exaggeration?

[@user-gu9yq5sj7c]

@@Drakenvlieg I didn't watch the paint dry.

[@blahhblaah74]

And I am a 47 year old Dutch bloke who's only lived in The Netherlands and England. Your channel resonates with me because like you I am not a cyclist, though I do cycle a lot. Thanks to your videos I learned a lot about the way we Dutch plan our cities, and how they compare to Nothern America... And while I think we still do a lot of things wrong here, I learned to appreciate it a lot better thanks to your videos 😁 Keep up the good work!

[@sownheard]

Proclaiming your not making a living from a mode of transportation is kinda weird. i am not a racer ,though i do drive a lot. i often drive, i often cycle.

[@carsongreen4503]

How did England compare to The Netherlands in terms of public transport and walkability?

[@simonh6371]

@@carsongreen4503 I can tell you as a British bloke who has lived over 10 years in NL, and another decade plus some in other countries, it is not good. Firstly the pavements here in the UK are a disaster, patched up, raised and broken by tree roots etc. In NL they actually put a big cast iron square with spokes like a wheel to allow water to nourish the tree, and prevent this happening. The pavements there aren't randomly patched, it's not allowed. Here in the UK after some utility company digs up pavement or road to do some repair, another contractor comes and chucks some tarmac down afterwards. In Amsterdam I had to get internet fibre laid about 20 metres to a premises, Ziggo came and took up the paving stones (bricks in a herringbone pattern) and laid it, and then I was dismayed to see they went straight after connecting the cable, leaving the pavement open...then 20 minutes later the council came and put them back so you wouldn't know anyone had done anything. Diverging but standards of building and fittings there are far far higher and built to last. Most Dutch city centres, and town centres, are as they were when built back in the 1600s. How many buildings in regular British towns and cities go back that far? The ones that do, which are not palaces and cathedrals or other big institutions, are half timbered i.e. made from wattle and daub (cowdung) which was a method used by the saxons a century earlier. Public transport....hmmm well using the London Underground after being used to the Amsterdam Metro is like going back 100 years lol. Also the birds in NL are far fitter and more open.

[@carsongreen4503]

@@simonh6371 True, you can trace the line of where part of the pavement has been taken up very easily. Also the tube is unbearably hot - how will we manage once climate change pushes 40º?

[@swanpride]

Frankly, it is less about cycling or not...it is more about how infrastructure impacts your freedom. Due to the channel I have really learned to appreciate the freedom I have. I might choose the car more often than not, since it saves time, but I appreciate that I don't have to.

[@bluebear6570]

If people in the US would have to pay for the real cost of driving cars each time they fill `em up, they´d welcome having alternative means ofconvenient transport available. But up until now, cars are being put before people. That´s simply crazy!

[@dandarr5035]

Even still. With gas prices going up, a lot of people have simply taken to complaining about it instead of thinking "hey, maybe we should have alternative methods of getting around so that it isn't as big of a deal when gasoline is expensive for the average citizen."

[@dustinm2717]

@@dandarr5035 the problem is you need the alternatives to actually exist in a healthy usable state first (which isn't the case in most of north america), most people just stick with what they know and don't question it, so if it gets worse but you don't really have a choice what else can you do but complain (we need to remember cars have had a monopoly in the west for multiple generations now, most people raised from the 50s onwards grew up with cars, so most people alive today don't have a reference point without cars) if you make driving harder before the alternative is usable people are going to loathe it out of feeling like they were forced into something worse You need to start with building the alternative and get it functional enough that you start to see people voluntarily using it, doesn't need to be great yet it just needs to be good enough that people will use it for its own merit and not because of necessity, and then you start putting pressure against driving and you need to do it gradually at the same time you continue to develop alternatives, you don't want to do it suddenly The key is that you need to make it feel like you're willingly ditching the car in favor of a more convenient alternative, you don't want it to feel like you're being pushed to do it and use a worse alternative otherwise people will resist and push back (because an unfortunate characteristic of human psychology is that if one feels forced they'll despise it irrespective of its benifit, you have to trick people into feeling like they decided to do it themselves) tl;dr Basically you want to use induced demand in your favor to get people using an alternative and from there start encouraging people out of what you want to phase out

[@gemelwalters2942]

But they are paying for it, they've just been convinced that it's worth it. They pay a lot in gas, insurance and maintenance. I wager ppl in the Netherlands are able to use that money for quality of life things instead of a metal box that is parked 90% of the time

[@baronvonlimbourgh1716]

@@dandarr5035 even at these prices people aren't paying the real costs.. Not even close lol.

[@jimzecca3961]

@@dustinm2717 Agree with this. For budgetary reasons I'd imagine you'd probably need to focus on specific popular transit corridors to the exclusion of others and then fix one area at a time. If you can't increase housing density then to get to a level of service of one bus, streetcar, train even every 15 minutes would require an enormous investment.

[@milly-sy4bc]

This flew under the radar. Needs more views!

[@YoJesusMorales]

The algorithm already picked it up, at least it just got in my feed.

[@jasonarthurs3885]

Moderator was a tad interruptive, but otherwise the interview was enlightening.

[@WhackaWhacka]

@@jasonarthurs3885 Yeah...yeah....yeah....yeah...yeah...

[@kaysee482]

Well, I’m definitely not Jason’s key demographic (I’m a 40-year old black woman) but Jason’s videos have made me plan a trip to multiple cities in the Netherlands for 2023. I grew up in America but as an adult I’ve lived in Japan, South Korea, Prague, Milan and now I’m in France. I’ve always known that these places were “more comfortable” for me and I knew I loved good, reliable public transit and walkability over cars, gas, car insurance and registration, but I never truly considered that the infrastructure in America was intentionally built that way for cars. Now I can’t unsee sh*tty infrastructure, even here in France (how loud the cars are, and how the city I’m in has unsafe and limited bike lanes and how all that makes it unpleasant to walk around in). I rode my bike everywhere in Japan, and I’ve always wanted to duplicate that experience but have not since. This channel made me see that I never bought another bike outside of Japan because I never felt SAFE enough to ride it. Now I’m on the hunt for nearly car free places. Thanks Jason!!

[@kaisersickle154]

You absolutely are his key demographic. If you live in a city, this matters! I'm glad you have the chance to have lived in much nicer places!

[@kaysee482]

@@kaisersickle154 Me too!! 🙂

[@anubizz3]

I don't get why you also get suck by Jason and all urbanist that worship Amsterdam like is some kind of Shangri-la, you already live in Japan before in my opinion a much better public transport oriented city and you can bike safely without the need of dedicated bikeline.. He tell us that he go more than 100 city but when he go to Swiss it's like he witnessed second coming of Jesus... If his target is to reduce car dependancy then why don't he advocate for the city and country that already successfully do so? Netherlands have 588 cars per 1000 people while Singapore have 140 and Hong Kong in 100.... I never go to 100 city and county like Jason claim but the 3 dozen or so city that I go I never amaze by Amsterdam, and cycling in there more like driving in Tokyo it's a chore not something that you enjoy....

[@kaysee482]

@@anubizz3 Nobody is worshipping Amsterdam. I just want to go and see, like I want to see lots of places. 🙂

[@planefan082]

​@@anubizz3 He's praised all of these cities before in his videos. He simply likes the Dutch spin on urbanism, as well as living there and being able to share experiences of living there firsthand

[@medicalwei]

As a Taiwanese who don't live in Taipei, I loled at the people living in Taipei hate the rest of Taiwan. It's so true that we created a (derogatory) term for it xD

[@StacXion]

Literally my whole family knows about your channel, either because they found it on their own, or bc they were apart of a conversation one of us started. It's so good having your family understand why these cities are so miserable, and why I/we want to move. Thanks man 💗

[@flozano8]

I really love the part where she says "yeah".

[@EntropicTroponin]

yeah

[@ParMonts8ParVaux]

she needs to shut up and let him talk

[@unh0lys0da16]

@@ParMonts8ParVaux It's a Dutch thing that doesn't translate well to English language / culture

[@gillsejusbates6938]

ya-ya-ya im lorde ya-ya-ya

[@SamyasaSwi]

I think she hasn't done many interviews before

[@GustavSvard]

Thank you algorithm for finding this for me. Maybe me subscribing to Not Just Bikes is what made this show up in my feed? :)

[@sanderjansen5187]

Funny that foreigners assume that amsterdam is the only city in the Netherlands that has bikes.

[@dicknr1]

its annoying. But americans are raised to be shallow.

[@herrbonk3635]

Or the only country in Europe or Asia that has bikes.

[@salvadorhenriquez4091]

@@herrbonk3635 yeah, even here in Dominican Republic, there are some good places with good walkability

[@MiguelJW]

@@herrbonk3635 no, everyone knows that there are bicycles in every country. But the Dutch cities are built with complete cycle paths. In fact, driving a car (which is not affordable in the Netherlands anyway) is discouraged in this way. In other countries around the Netherlands it is not so perfectly organized for cyclists!

[@herrbonk3635]

@@MiguelJW Here in Sweden, we also have those cycle paths in our towns, but much more people used their bikes in the 1940s to 1980s, when no such facilities existed :)

[@CM_Burns]

I finally get to see the man behind the screen.

[@aleksandra8579]

11:23 Well, I'm the audience. I'm almost 40, originally from an industrial city of the former USSR. I don't drive a car rather a bike for commuting and the best of your videos is the one about the strong cities.

[@beback_]

It's okay to say you're Russian. The world hates Putin, they don't hate you.

[@paulgrieger8182]

A city is a machine in which people live, work, and interact. Cars are insular. If we have public transport and bike infrastructure, we are able to be in closer proximity and we have a much better chance of having social interactions. Has there ever been a study that addresses anger and cars?

[@brandonm1708]

I don’t even think you need a study, anyone who has been with people driving can see how frustrated they get by people not obeying certain traffic rules (even when they do the same things themselves)

[@darrenmichaelsen2492]

I think driving everywhere almost has a similar effect to the anonymity provided by the internet. We all know how the internet is full of people just acting like assholes because of being able to hide behind the computer screen. When you're on the road in your car surrounded by other cars, I think it has a similar effect where you can't really see the other people around you and they don't see you. Instead, all we see is a bunch of machines. And because of that, it's way easier for you to get angry and start thinking to yourself about the horrendous things you wish would happen to that guy who's flying around cutting around people. You can get frustrated to the point where you are audibly yelling inside your own car to no one but yourself. Then the frustration of the commute can carry into the rest of your day, and you end up with a bunch of irritated people walking around our cities during the workday. There is very little natural or spontaneous social interaction as a result. Everyone is just trying to get through the workday and likely dreading the commute home.

[@gemelwalters2942]

If you've seen the videos of drivers in Florida shooting at other drivers for overtaking then no study is necessary but it would certainly be interesting. I think some urban planning studies do talk about mental health associated with the lack of social interaction.

[@blakksheep736]

Studies show that teens that come from car dependent places get way more social anxiety and depression than teens that don't. Expected, when you literally can't go anywhere unless your parents were available, plus "stranger in a white van" fearmongering, teens come out socially stunted and emotionally handicapped with an unrealistic view of the outside. Plus it allows abusers to have way more control over thier victims than they would if the victim had the freedom walkable places provide.

[@stitch009]

Grew up in one of those US Cities with "decent" public transit and moved to another with better public transit and I have always been happier when I could cycle or mass transit as opposed to driving.Even when I need to dodge cars it's so much easier and less stressful to bike places.

[@GaviLazan]

It's "Orange Pill" because NJB's logo color is orange. It's not a "Dutch or Canadian thing" (though the color choice for the logo might have been influenced by the Dutch national colors).

[@Drakenvlieg]

Orange is literally our national color. Our king has "of orange" as a last name!

[@GaviLazan]

@@Drakenvlieg I know that, which is why I said that the NJB logo could have been influenced by that.

[@axelloa.a.6563]

"You'd rather be in a park than a parkway, right?" I think this emphasises the video pretty well.. 8:57

[@ajminxy]

I love his channel. Watching his content helped me put a name to why I hated living in other US cities than NY. It was the design. I hate driving everywhere. I grew up walking and having places accessible by walking. Gave me more perspective as to why I felt better being outside the US. Why I feel excitement when I see mass transportation. It was coincidence that I decided to immigrate to the Netherlands and when I came across his channel. I grew up in NYC and I wanted that accessibility again and the Netherlands ticked all my must-have boxes on how I want to live my life.

[@StellaWaldvogel]

I've lived in various parts of the US and done a LOT of walking. It's treacherous, and everybody just shrugs it off. The first time I saw a Not Just Bikes video, I finally felt seen. Thanks!

[@Ginjitzu]

A word of advice to interviewers: try not to interrupt your interviewee and let them answer the questions you've asked them.

[@UwBuis]

@9:56 because youtube*Why?!*

[@Krommandant]

She should shut up between questions, she's too verbally present with all her "yeah" and "uh-hum". Looks to be a newbie at MCing an interview. I'm super annoyed.

[@gemelwalters2942]

She did quite fine, that's a lot of complaining about nothing really. It's her job to ensure he doesn't go off on a tangent but also be interactive so this doesn't become a bloody lecture.

[@lucaonorati5317]

Yeah it sounded like he was being cut off by the interviewer even though it wasn't intentional.

[@lindholmaren]

She sounds more like she's used to online panels or something lol Having to acknowledge everything when you aren't in the same room to show you're there mentally, after asking something

[@ian_davidson]

I hope that Not Just Bikes guy really changes the world we live in.

[@nottawa86]

he won't, but he has the right tools to inspire us to do so.

[@haldir108]

I can't wait for the "unwelcome middle" video. I'm habitually riding my bike in the road, rather than on the sidewalk, because the sidewalk isn't built for the speed, sightlines, and distance to other travelers that bikes want.

[@espfan9841]

As dutchman I almost can't imagine a world without bikes. It is just like learnig to swim or walk. At young age our world was much wider because we could get much further from home because we had our own transporation faster then walking.

[@felixbraun6919]

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, OK, yeah, yeah, yeah, ok, hmmmm, yeah, ok, yeah, yeah, OK, mhm, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, mhm, yeah, OK, aha, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah."

[@milovandam55]

im from the netherlands, and its fascinating to listin to jason, because if you grow up somewhere you dont see the good things he mentions. great channel!

[@DutchDesires]

Was listening to this while trying to fall asleep. I had some trouble falling asleep until I started counting all the times the lady says 'yeah'.

[@safe-keeper1042]

lol

[@paullacotta5645]

Jason is terrific. Moderator talks too much.

[@njbrx]

She keeps interrupting him

[@ishanchotaliya8904]

Imagine any city actually implementing at least couple of his ideas. I used to live in Toronto.

[@TalwinderDhillonTravels]

Visit Montréal sometime 😉

[@trixiegaldy7782]

I cannot believe we have ANY city planners in Toronto - if there are - they should be locked up. Such a mess and getting worse.

[@dandadamo4299]

Funny that he talks about people going college and experiencing walkability. I grew up in old walkable suburbs of New York, but go to college in LA. (Even living on a walkable college campus, LA was still awful without a car) I found any fell in love with NJB because it explained why I hated LA.

[@roberthoople]

Thanks in large part to Not Just Bikes and City Beautiful, as well as a stint living in Vancouver, I started a project in SketchUp to design a whole new master plan concept for the city I currently live in. It's a 30K+ mid size city that is the epitome of a bad N.American car centric over-sprawled city, which is made even worse as it is twice bisected through it's center by two major highways. Everyone that lives here, seems to hates living here, but none of them are able to put a finger on why that is. I was like them before I was red pilled. The city I'm working on is likely to grow to 50k or more in a decade, and it is genuinely my hope that by literally showing people in 3D renderings what their city could become without car dependency, it might create enough political pressure for the city to revisit it's current master plans and course correct before the next growth boom comes.

[@ukrytykrytyk8477]

Sounds cool! Is there a place where you share your work and ways you use SketchUp to design a city?

[@ellenmaes2480]

Good luck with that. Never gonna work because people are, generally speaking, stupid.

[@Brian-bp5pe]

Not criticizing, Robert, I am new to this. Everyone is saying "orange-pilled"; is red-pilled a variation, or did you mean the same thing?

[@SmallTown_Studio]

If Strong Towns is to be believed, then they’d better fix the city, otherwise it *will* fall into debt.

[@TR-xb9bz]

Good luck

[@mopslikvonstein]

drink every time the moderator says "yeah"

[@jessegee179]

Really cool 👍 and I'm middle aged 😂 I'd like escooters to have a legal space, recently I injured my knee, I couldn't walk to the bus stop or station, or cycle as usual, but I could've scooted. I used a public hire escooter in Porto, Portugal, on an official cycle path, 12km to the city, it was a perfect solution.

[@MisuAlexandru1]

It's so nice to see him! Also, those questions were good and interesting

[@texabara]

Hi from Puerto Rico! The whole island is designed for cars! The goal is for people to get bank-financed loans to buy cars. But I decided to commute to work on bicycle since 2005.

[@ImRivendill]

The Netherlands is great for biking, and sometimes that's a big downside to it. Like Jason says the public transport could be much better. I live in between 2 big cities (Leeuwarden & Groningen) which are both like 30-35 kilometers away. The nearest train station is 12 kilometers away and a bus ride to one of the cities is about 1-1 and a half hours. There is no direct bus going to the train station. I'm sure I'm not the only one and there are plenty of other little towns or cities that are stuck in a sort of "no-mans-land" when it comes to public transport. At 25 I don't have a drivers license because I'm willing to use my E-bike to cycle to work even if it's a 30-45 minute cycle (12-16kilometers). So in short, I don't have to rely on a car but I CAN'T rely on public transport either unless I want long travel times to work, else you're better off moving closer to your work.

[@dojadog4223]

He more or less just shows gentrified Dutch society.

[@nottawa86]

thats worse than east texas where nearly everytown is connected by rail. although you can't use it for public use, only for shipping goods :/

[@anubizz3]

Netherlands is good country but not the utopian and an example for other countries to follow for car less city ... Considering it have 588 car per 1000 people compare to Singapore 144 and Hong Kong 100.

[@antbrk986]

@@anubizz3 Except offcourse comparing car densities between city-states and a whole country doesnt say much.

[@anubizz3]

@@antbrk986 are you telling me Amsterdam have lower car ownership than Hong Kong and Singapore?

[@borisreznikov1165]

Wow. This is the first time I’ve heard someone say what I’ve been explaining to my community all along - it’s not about climate change, it’s not about health, it’s about creating urban spaces that are great places for humans to live and work and play. Happy to see I’m not the only one who thinks this way!

[@oh...hi.]

can't believe his last name is slaughter

[@richardhltrp1791]

Hey Jason, regarding your audience. i am a 52 yo dutch guy ... love your videos and reccomend my friends from all over the world to watch your videos ! i build greenhouses all over the globe and lived in a few counries and yes ... always better when im back in the Netherlands !

[@N0Xa880iUL]

Omg I didn't notice the interruptions until I read the comments and now that I notice them the video simply becomes unwatchable. Maybe at first I was really focused on Jason to care.

[@anthonywilliams9415]

The Houston video was funny AF. I love Houston by the way. I also like to drive too.

[@johnfife3062]

Great interview! Amsterdam is wonderful, but apparently it's short on comfortable chairs....

[@fermitupoupon1754]

The e-scooters thing is a legal status thing. E-scooters are perfectly legal in NL, provided they meet the standards that come with being a moped. Because that's what they are in the eyes of the law. So they need a license plate, you need to have an AM license to ride one, you have to have third party liability insurance, it has to have certain lights, it has to have rear view mirrors, all that jazz. There is no real reason why they aren't allowed on the streets of NL, the only thing that's stopping e-scooters from being a thing is that essentially none of them comply with the law. It's really up to the manufacturers to meet the vehicle requirements and get them certified. But the reality is that manufacturers aren't interested in making an e-scooter with a seat, proper brakes, indicators, and mirrors. The problem that Amsterdam then specifically has, is that they have a bunch of added requirements for mopeds. Like a snorfiets requires a helmet and you have to ride in traffic with cars. And suddenly an e-scooter doesn't sound so great any more.

[@martah5369]

In Sweden they have been categorised more similar to bikes, because that's the kind of speed they have (under 25 km/h). There has been a lot of issues with their parking however...

[@shibithecatthing]

They are a massive issue in the UK, they are technically illegal outside of 'trial areas' but no one enforces it. Even in these trial areas, they have been incredibly dangerous to vulnerable people. For example blind and visually impaired people can't hear them coming and they just suddenly appear out of nowhere on pavements; it's awful!

[@matthewhook3375]

"that's what they are in the eyes of the law." - this is entirely the problem. An e-scooter is clearly NOT the same thing as a moped; expecting it to have lights and license plates and insurance and share the road with cars and buses is mental. It's one of the "in between" vehicles Jason mentioned towards the end.

[@fermitupoupon1754]

@@matthewhook3375 It was implemented as an Algemene Maatregel van Bestuur. Basically all that was done at the time was add a line to the existing Wegenverkeerswet. The problem at the time was that there was no regulation at all and so by default a Segway was considered a pedestrian, like a skater or someone on an autoped. There were a number of incidents with pedestrians being hit by Segways in places like malls and pedestrian zones. The easiest solution at the time was to just blanket class them all as Bijzondere Bromfiets, which imposed all the vehicle requirements of a moped on them. It solved quite a few problems at the time. They were now mopeds, so there was no more ambiguity about their status. The problem that is now showing, is that up until a few years ago there was no effective lobby in favour of e-scooters. By the time that lobby came to be, the AMvB had been passed years ago. So now there is an established lobby from groups like the Fietsersbond who oppose removing too many of the requirements and only a relatively small lobby in favour of e-scooters. But as with all things, the political process will sort itself out. There are new regulations in the works which allow for a much easier process to get an e-scooter legalised. From what I've heard through the grapevine, it's likely that the seat requirement will be dropped, and possibly a verzekeringsplaatje instead of an actual license plate, similar to mobility scooters. Although that does imply a 16km/h restriction. But it's unlikely that requirements for lights, mirrors, insurance and an AM license will be dropped. Of course there is one big loop hole in the law. You can have an autoped-met-elektrische-ondersteuning, which in the eyes of the law is technically an e-bike. But that requires that you have to kick to keep it going, much like you have to pedal on an e-bike.

[@leandrog2785]

@@fermitupoupon1754 But that requires that you have to kick to keep it going, much like you have to pedal on an e-bike. Seems perfectly feasible. Make the controller apply only enough torque so that it decelerates very slowly. Thus, to maintain speed you have to kick every once in a while. And the only way to accelerate is to kick. So you can't go faster than your kicking speed.

[@aloyman007]

Lady needs to stop with the constant verbal jabs and let Jason talk. I give her a three out of ten.

[@Basta11]

The future I see in the US is walkable neighborhoods but not like the ones in Europe. These will be like private with private security to keep the unwanted out. They will be more corporate feeling. Basically a combination of a massive shopping mall, a business district, residential towers, with the grounds and amenities of an American university.

[@Emdee5632]

European cites in general aren't as criminal as American cities. So private areas and private security are mostly unheard of in the Netherlands. So no walled in areas. I hope I will NEVER have to live in a ''secure'' living area.....

[@dandarr5035]

That sounds revolting. I can't leave this country soon enough.

[@sarahrosen4985]

Wasn’t there a city like that in The Walking Dead? What a Utopia.

[@saynotop2w]

There are many “campus towns “ already with tech companies. Those places are quite pleasant but aren’t for the 99% of public.

[@benbunyip]

So true. You don’t need a big home if outside your door are all the places you want to go too. 27 years in Japan with no car, soon I’ll be back in inner suburban Melbourne and I won’t need or buy a car either.

[@supernenechi]

I'm getting slightly annoyed but the interviewer. Like, we want to hear the man speak, let him speak! Otherwise, great interview. Asked the right questions and got some good answers. I love Not Just Bikes!

[@scarab5046]

does she ever stop saying yeah?

[@rangersmith4652]

Walking was the first form of transit humanity developed, and that we have tried so hard to shove walking into the shadows strikes me as utterly ludicrous.

[@idab9958]

I'm not gonna lie, hearing someone say that six minutes between trains isn't good enough _is_ a little bit infuriating.

[@JasmineTea127]

Jason Slaughter: Tries to talk- Interviewer: yeah. yeah. yeah. yeah. ok. yeah. yeah. sure. yeah. *Interrupts repeatedly with stupid questions, condescending remarks and fake laughter*

[@cycleistic1365]

I think the point was only to steal Jason's credibility in order to market "micromobility", paid transit solutions looking for a problem. Idea of micromobility is that you should pay for every move you make, whereas buying yourself a bicycle or an e-scooter for that matter you would just use it, pay something perhaps for maintenance or battery charging, while while mobile payment driven "micromobility industry" doesn't get a dime's cut, thus they try to push hard their paid transit model wherever they face resistance. Hence the fake talk host, no substance, just marketing department personnel. Like almost all tech business models, micromobility is just another rent seeking innovation to circumvent laws, rules and regulations of organized society. In that sense Micromobility is just another venture capitalists evil plans to try and extract value out of the gullible and the clueless on expense of the society. Micromobility industry is as useful and harmless as tobacco industry was/is. Resist the dockless e-scooter and bikes, free the public space for the resposnsible individuals who take care of their own mobility and vehicles.

[@mourlyvold64]

@@cycleistic1365 Hear, hear...

[@derianvandalsen]

I quit after she mentioned Amsterdam, seemingly as if she wanted to show she knew about the Netherlands. As a Dutch citizen: Do NOT equate our country to that city.

[@Matt-dx3wo]

@@derianvandalsen they're in Amsterdam

[@derianvandalsen]

@@Matt-dx3wo did I stutter?

[@ishay3000]

Love your vids, NJB!

[@jjkthebest]

Next time I'm complaining about the Dutch public transportation system, I'll keep in mind that other places are worse.

[@norberthardtmanns5058]

Great interview. When it comes to E-Scooters one should take into consideration that these vehicles tend to transform peoples behaviour the same way cars do. They act ego centric and aggressive and don't behave nice (to express it this way). That's why Paris abandoned it's use and a lot of city people complain about these devices. The reason for this "transformation" is a mechanism that was discovered by Hermann Knoflacher (a former traffic/city planner of Vienna). He wrote a book about his experience and more findings regarding that topic ("Virus Auto"). To put it in one sentence: When you use a device that moves you around and it's velocity isn't directly coupled to the amount of energy you have to raise yourself(!) you will prefer that device no matter if it does harm to the environment or people next to you. Even simple math about its cost do not change this preference. Furthermore you start feeling "prioritized" and act like that ("This part of the world is mine because I am faster so "GO AWAY!"). In short terms: E-Scooters do the opposite regarding walkable end enjoyable cities and are not "compatible with walking" (to cite Jason).

[@carolinenagel7085]

I hate the bloody things. They are dangerous and the people who use them are the most selfish people apart from car drivers. They 'park' their f-ing scooters anywhere and everywhere, preferably in the middle of the pavement/sidewalk/trottoir. I wish Antwerp would ban them.

[@ashchetum]

Can they let him talk? Why are they constantly interrupting?

[@Froozzzeeeehhhhh]

can someone please explain the matrix reference to the moderator

[@pawnfischer8336]

yeah, yeah, yep, mhmm, yep

[@TheMacValk]

How funny to hear his voice AND see the face of Jason Slaughter. Finally a face with th voice haha

[@SaffaInNewZealand]

What role has big business had in the push towards car dependent design ? In a word , consumerism.

[@Blackadder75]

the major role.... they spend billions in lobbying in 70 years

[@EdLrandom]

e-scooters and other PEVs in Netherlands are not allowed for some stupid legal reason of insurance you need but can't get. They allow gas powered mopeds on the bike paths though.

[@BramLastname]

They're not allowed because back in the day the infrastructure hadn't settled enough to accommodate these vehicles properly, Nowadays some of these electric vehicles would be fine to introduce, People just have to get used to them, which is where most of the pushback comes from.

[@garryferrington811]

I had an Ethiopian friend who asked me, "Why is everybody in the US so miserable?" I didn't know what to say. Now I do.

[@razoryes4671]

Scooters are not compatible with walking. Especially in France. Those can exceed 35kmph and is really scarry. In fact they are the worst. They don't follow any law what so ever when in motion.

[@hendman4083]

Humpf, they didn't even put up a link to the original video that supplied the title for this one. ☹️ So, here it is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGXOnneumMuFapo

[@MicromobilityIndustries]

Good callout, we added it to the description!

[@leandrog2785]

@@MicromobilityIndustries Do you read all the comments?

[@MrCellz69]

The interviewer should stop interrupting his answers all the time

[@davey_squires]

Thank you Jason!

[@LuficariusRatspeed]

She says yeah too much.

[@TheConfuzzledCat]

it's so bizarre seeing that familiar voice coming from that unfamiliar face

[@DougGrinbergs]

19:30 trams: range-extender for walking 😉

[@averyfollett4005]

This was so angering to listen to because of the amount of times he got cut off and all the "yeah"s

[@nickc3657]

I neeeeever thought I’d see Not Just Bike’s face!

[@LutherBlissett94]

Jeez, that lady is way too much about presenting herself. Is that an american thing? Please hold back, do not interrupt, and focus on the topic rather than the way you look when you chuckle.

[@ParMonts8ParVaux]

had to stop watching because the girl is unbearable

[@astro39]

So this is the legend

[@PapaYosif]

i find it weid that there are cities where u cant walk places. u as a human need something other than ur body to legally go somewhere its weird.

[@whazzat8015]

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONVENIENCE AND IMPULSIVITY scooters are novelty toys Marketed to impulsive behavior. In storage , In use. That is not transportation. Toys not tools. I Agree: IT IS ALL ABOUT WALKABILITY safety for pedestrians is paramount. SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY

[@martah5369]

They are not only that. I commute by train and see a lot of people owning them as they are always allowed to bring on. Also, the shared ones are messy but technically a good idea as it allows people fast transportation without owning a bike.

[@JPAnor]

@@martah5369 exactly and it improves micro mobility/last kilometer so much

[@udishomer5852]

Go to Tel-Aviv and witness thousands of these being used daily. Its a matter of proper paths to ride them, short enough distances, climate, etc.

[@martah5369]

@@udishomer5852 and proper and accessible parking!

[@whazzat8015]

@@martah5369 & @Udi Which is far and away the exception rather than the rule

[@hennyternegren7173]

e-scooters are hell. at least rental ones. the batteries in them don't last long, making them bad for the envorinment as people take these scooters instead of walking. the people collecting and charging the scooters are so called gig workers, not getting paid by the hour but for how many scooters they've gathered, and no benefits whatsoever. and since users of the scooters don't have to take personal responsibility for them, like they have to with a bike, they don't worry about them getting stolen etc and that's why they leave them on the street just like that. which in turn is a danger especially for blind people, who may trip and hurt themselves severely.

[@saynotop2w]

I once considered getting one, but the nail in the coffin was how poor they are at climbing slopes. With bikes there can be a dozen accessories attached without sacrificing comfort and rideability. I bought an ebike from a graduate student at nearly half its retail and I’ve been very happy being able to go anywhere within 10 mile radius for pennies.

[@tgypoi]

6 minutes, dude, I waited 45 minutes for a train home from Perth, because they only run once an hour after midnight.

[@DANNYonPC]

Escooters itself, sure But not as a rental service, since people will just leave em on the street randomly which sucks

[@kubotwostringz7040]

This lady is a bit agressive. You can even see Jason on one or two occasions leaning away from her in his chair. Becoming conscious of this is her homework :)

[@thematriarchy2075]

🙄

[@dianethulin1700]

I am surprised that I am not the average viewer of Not Just Bikes. I am a life long walker and transit enthusiast at age 60. I often am mistaken for being 20 years younger and believe all this walking is why I was nearly run down by a scooter the other day while on the sidewalk. Not the first time and there was a bike lane right next to us. This is a big problem with these scooters

[@towhee7472]

Dear interviewer. You don't need to say "Yes...yes...yeah...yeah...yeah.. yeah.." All the time. You can just listen to Jason's answers, without saying any unnecessary fillers.

[@thomasjonker508]

"Jeah"

[@CraigGorsuch]

I have to oppose the “imposition” of 15-minute/walkable/bike-able cities on principle. When some “black swan” event occurs, people in dense urban environments experience drastic increases in stress and anxiety than those in sparsely populated rural areas. This says nothing of any nefarious government that deliberately seeks to curtail the movement of the populace. (It’s happened in history. It’s willfully ignorant to assume it could never happen again.). For those people who WANT to live in these areas: you do you. Many of us would NEVER choose that culture.

[@peanutbutter7721]

Great! Glad you think we should build more mixed use neighbourhoods for people who want them, because at the moment they're not being built and are practically illegal in many places due to zoning laws pushed by those who stand to profit from car dependency.

[@asphalthedgehog6580]

We don't even consider taking the car for shopping. We walk and bike almost everything. One supermarket at 3 minutes walk, 2 on 7 minutes. On E-scooters: extra tax for future medical issues like obesity. 25 year olds can't take the stairs these days without getting exhausted. The WALL-E scenario is coming!

[@mohamedaminekoubaa5231]

Jason you sound like a scientist in 11:40 .

[@EdgePitSwing]

The thing no American urban planner seems to get is European cities WOULD NOT FUNCTION under a US tax system. The Netherlands is only a bit larger than the state of Maryland, but has nearly the same per capita GDP as the ENTIRE UNITED STATES. Imagine what the Netherlands would look like if it had to give up 30-40% of their income to the EU? Would they ever see that money? Probably not. Now imagine what California would look like if it paid nothing to the federal government...

[@therealdutchidiot]

While all of that is true, most of that GDP is something that came about in the last 40 years or so. So it's largely irrelevant. Dutch style infrastructure is insanely cheap compared to US style infrastructure. It's more compact, bike lanes are literally the cheapest infra one can build, less cars on the road means less wear and tear and so on. The infrastructure is the way it is because it's built relatively cheaply. It's probably a large part of *why* the GDP is the way it is: better transport (best country in the world to be a driver is on that list). ensures timely transport all over the country. This is obviously also done by train, which actually functions really well here. Yes other Dutch people who haven't been outside the country, even our nextdoor neighbours have horrible trains. Now, why does all of that matter? Well, because so much of our economy is powered by three things: exports, exports, and there was a third one I forget. The largest export hub in the country, nay Europe is the port of Rotterdam. Not only the Dutch economy depends on it, but it's called "the biggest German port" for a reason too. Having the money is important for good infrastructure, but one shouldn't confuse the numbers with those of the time about 80% of the current infrastructure was built.

[@drolaticdemiurge1137]

dawg his last name is SLAUGHTER

[@WhoElseButMeNumbaOne]

Stop interupting him!

[@danku-chan]

9:13 they are lovers. NJB and City Beautiful are lovers.

[@c.j.4620]

Interviewer is annoying. The interrupting is claws-on-a-chalkboard annoying. Love that shes engaged, but ask and interact and LISTEN. Usually, it isn't necessary to interject.

[@davidbray5982]

Yeah my girlfriend used to do the same thing before I made her stop. She wanted to show how keenly she was listening by subconsciously saying "yeah" or "mmhmm" after every sentence, unaware that it actually sort of showed the opposite. Like she's only pretending to be engaged, without actually listening to what's being said.

[@gerritvalkering1068]

They just need to figure out where the e-scooters or those new electric bikes and stuff need to go. They'll figure it out I did laugh about the 'what's a bad thing in Amsterdam'. It does sound a bit like humble bragging when it's 'well, I have to wait 10 minutes for the next tram, and sometimes it's so busy I have to stand' or 'there's this one stretch of road where the bike lane isn't well-maintained'