US vs Dutch New Urbanism Suburbs: What's the Difference?

In this video, Bike Quest with Mike West and The Dutch Way team up to take you on a ride through two suburban communities to see the differences and similarities between Dutch and American new urbanism. We travel through Wateringse Veld, The Hague, Netherlands; and Daybreak, South, Jordan, Utah. This video includes a fire hose of information with topics including cycling, land use, engineering, and even some trash talk... literally! Saddle up and pay attention, or you might miss something! Watch to the summary towards the end as well as a bit of a surprise or different ending...
I want to give huge thanks to The Dutch Way for partnering on this video to film the ride in Wateringse Veld, scripting, and most importantly for teaching me so much more about Dutch planning, engineering, and design!
Please checkout the Dutch Way on:
KZbin: @The-Dutch-Way
Twitter: @The_DutchWay
Links and sources for pictures and graphics shown within the video:
-Google Earth and Google Maps
-Photos of 1998 flooding and 1917 peat extraction: www.historischarchiefwestland...
-Drone photo of Maeslant Barrier: Rijkswaterstraat
-Central Delfland information: www.staatsbosbeheer.nl/uit-in...
-Map of skate routes: recreatie.middendelfland.net/s...
-Information on numbered node cycle network: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbere...
-Map and information on the cycle network: www.toproutenetwerk.nl/alle-t...
-SK Roses: www.skroses.nl/en
-Information and before/after graphics showing N211 reconstruction: www.zuid-holland.nl/onderwerp...
-Video clip of flood potential (must enter an address!): overstroomik.nl/
-Stadsboerderij Op Den Dijk: www.denhaag.nl/nl/in-de-stad/...
-Solar powered smart tire inflator (at Stadsboerderij Op Den Dijk): www.bandopspanning.nl/hoe-wer...
-The Transect and Community Units graphic: cnucalifornia.org/smartcode-fo...
-Mountain View Corridor information and before/after graphics: mountainview.udot.utah.gov/hi...
-Information on Eastlake Elementary School: www.daybreakutah.com/whats-ha...

[@alexthekunz]

It's nice to see some of these new American communities implementing good urbanist strategies. I know this is not representative of a typical neighborhood in America, but it's nice to see what the US is capable of. Thank you for doing the comparison!

[@ronwagoner8358]

It is good to see - sure - but sad because a working class family could not be able to live there, only upper, upper class. But I suppose to expect something different from America would be to expect fantasy become reality.

[@sambishop1667]

@Ron Wagoner , I live there, so I can speak to this. The developer does a pretty good, intentional job of building for a mix of incomes. The homes do go for more than they would otherwise, of course, because communities like this are rare. I feel like the root of the problem is that the community was only built like this because the developer (a mining company that no longer had use for the land) came into it with thousands of acres and a plan. If the land had been developed via the usual process, then we would have gotten the usual car-centric sprawl.

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

Thanks for the comment! I wish we would see more communities like this in the US, but it is helpful to have examples here to look to. Other communities in Utah have emulated some elements of Daybreak, so it does have some effect, though none have done a suburban development here quite as well. I do like a lot of the Dutch and some other European examples as well, in general they are more holistic and livable communities compared to what we typically see in the US. I’m sure typical car-centric suburbia will continue to be highlighted in some videos, but it is great to see some of the good too!

[@suthunah2134]

Vastly inferior to the average Dutch neighborhood and yet a very objective, balanced and optimistic take. Makes me happy too

[@apolloxiii5574]

This American community needs a lot more trees and green, it looks like a desert.

[@znoyce]

I'm a resident of Salt Lake County and I don't mean to sound like I'm poo-poo-ing Daybreak too much, but (as much as I also love some of its features!) it seems like a terrible place to live--better than directly adjacent neighborhoods, but worlds worse than most places anywhere closer to SLC's core. I give props to Daybreak for making the best it can of the scenario it's been handed. But I feel this video is such a great demonstration of its folly. You could develop the most perfect, livable neighborhood in the world. However, when that neighborhood is surrounded on all sides by development that doesn't follow similar principles, all those amenities almost immediately transition from being useful utilities to quirky novelties.

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

I totally get it and you aren’t poo-pooing on anyone! Daybreak is a much better way to do suburbia compared to what is out there, but being so removed from Salt Lake and other major city centers definitely makes it difficult to go completely without a car. The problem I have with Salt Lake is how many dangerous multi-lane arterials criss-cut downtown and other parts of the city. I have cycled in Salt Lake a good number of times and I honestly currently prefer cycling (especially with kids) in Daybreak; the problem is as you stated is the decentralized location and the lack of access to destinations or even other transit connectivity. To be fair, Salt Lake is doing a lot to try and make the city safer and more human centric. I rode the new 300 W two-way cycle track, which is an improvement, though not always easy to access from the east side of the road.

[@suthunah2134]

That last sentence: Major 🔑

[@robertrawley1115]

*Great comparison!* I did find the constant movement distracted my attention. It would help IMHO if one frame was frozen while only the narrated frame was moving. OR, something to Direct viewer to what is NOW what you want us to focus on. Even a color bar on the active frame might have helped my focus. I like the comparison and make the suggestion respectfully, understanding that editing is time-consuming...and hard! *Hope to see more like these.*

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

Thanks so much, I always appreciate some good feedback! It was definitely a busy video, both The Dutch Way and I were a little worried about viewer overload 😂 I did put a yellow box around the screen for who was talking, but I might need to do something more obvious next time. We will certainly learn and keep trying to improve for the audience. Thanks again for your comment!

[@robertrawley1115]

@@bikequestwithmikewest WOW! I totally missed the yellow border! That was what I was thinking.... maybe bigger? [On my Android App, the bottom yellow line was replaced by the YT red progress bar (same size)] The center yellow line never changed and I just completely missed the thin color bar's. Watched again on my TV and the bar's did help; however there is so much going on, still think a freeze might help better, if that is even possible. One good thing is your views may be up slightly, because others may have watched multiple times like I did. 😂 It's been interesting reading comments about this being the ONLY city in all of America trying a BETTER approach... 🙏🙏

[@babybirdhome]

I think another approach besides the border around the active video would be to slightly dim the non-active video (but not so much that you can’t see what’s going on in it since there is still information being presented - just enough to make the other one obviously the current highlight). EDIT: I say this as someone who didn’t notice the yellow border around the active video until near the end of the whole thing.

[@Siranoxz]

The thing that makes us Dutch folks jealous about America is that you have mountains!!!. Mountains, and therefore a beautiful view too.

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

I do love the mountains! I would love the combination of Dutch street design with our mountains 😀

[@Siranoxz]

@@bikequestwithmikewest Make it happen huh? 😝😝

[@barnabybeere1557]

Really interesting video Mike, love the split screen and extra captions!

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

Thank you so much! @The-Dutch-Way deserves much credit on this and we hoped it would be interesting and informative even with as much as was happening in the video!

[@jezzarisky]

Hey! Welcome back! I've been missing seeing videos from you

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

Great to be back, thank you! I hope to not take so long between videos next time 😃 I still have a list I would like to work on and it is always evolving!

[@CollinAnderson21]

Great video like always! The one way bike lines down Lake Ave with sharp turns drives me crazy too. Especially hard with a cargo bike.

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

Definitely feel you there, my kids get rocked around on those corners! Trails need some minimum centerline and intersection radii to help with maneuvering cargo bikes and regular bikes too. Working for my town, we got some trail requirements like that codified, which has been nice 😃

[@ActiveTowns]

Fabulous video! Very well done. Cheers! John

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

Thanks so much John!! This one is definitely a lot to take in, but I learned a lot and had a lot of fun collaborating with The Dutch Way on this! I definitely look up to you for all your great content, interviews, and quality of your videos 😃

[@benwouda]

Nice and random remarks and shots

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

Thanks haha! There is a lot to talk about and we tried to match up the rides with similar features along the way, so we sort of change the subject quickly! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@bosnahYUG]

I live in The Hague in a suburb called Leidschenveen. Its a nice neighbourhood with less cars and peacefull streets especially in the summer. But im a delivery driver for DPD and my standard route is around wateringse veld. Nice video

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

Thanks for watching! I was there in March and made it as close as Ypenburg and Voorburg, but not quite to Leidschenveen! Some of the suburbs around there did a great job of creating quiet places to live but have access to services, transit, and open spaces. The A4 and A12 are quite large highways, but have good crossing points for walking and biking. The Jan Linzelviaduct was quite impressive to ride across as well!

[@bosnahYUG]

Yes you right. The only thing Leidschenveen is a bit quiter than Ypenburg. Ypenburg is build wider bigger and has a bigger shopping center. But its around 4km one from each other. @@bikequestwithmikewest

[@nickdentoom1173]

@@bosnahYUG tbh, the reason Ypenburg is bigger than Leidschenveen is because Leidschveen is entirely new, while Ypenburg was a militairy airbase in the past

[@peachscentedskulls]

I have never seen a single American town that looks like this.

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

There are some communities out there, though most American suburbs aren’t quite like this. This definitely serves as a better example of suburban America. Wateringse Veld and other Dutch new urbanist communities (also called Vinux communities in the Netherlands) serve as examples as to how places like Daybreak could continue to improve.

[@highway2heaven91]

There are some Canadian suburbs that kind of look like this

[@dianethulin1700]

When I visit my sister in Clinton Utah they have bike paths along a water canal behind the housing tracts. It is very safe! Are there more of those around Utah? I find walking there to be super dangerous! McDonalds did have the best coffee and cheap too!

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

There are other areas along the Wasatch Front with bike paths along canals and rail corridors, which is great! In Lehi, the Rail Trail down there now includes some bridges and a new tunnel to help make crossing busy roads safer and more convenient, though there are still a couple crossings that aren’t ideal. There are some other trails around that are improving too, but safe street crossings need to be included as well. The problem is that we still don’t have a cohesive network of safe and comfortable bike paths, but hopefully at least some areas around here will achieve that. Thanks again for watching and leaving another comment!

[@dianethulin1700]

@@bikequestwithmikewest Yea I like Lehi a lot actually! I’m a little intrigued with the housing I saw being built by the train tracks there along The Front Runner. Specifically looking at Farmington. My family founded that town and now it seems there is an Old Farmington and New Farmington separated by the freeway. It’s possible I may move there someday in the next ten years. Side note hoping the recent weather has helped the Great Salt Lake

[@rustyshackle917]

Daybreak is an old superfund site (toxic) and the ground water is still poisoned from a century of metal mining at Kennecott (cheap land for unscrupulous developers). Air pollution is also a major problem. Utah culture is extremely car-centric. Bikers / pedestrians are risking their lives, even in a place like Daybreak.

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

I wouldn’t argue with anything you have said. It’s an uphill battle, but I will do what I can to counter the car-centric nature of Utah and other places. The design of Daybreak is better than typical suburban areas in Utah, but it certainly could do better with street and road design to better ensure safety.

[@baddriversofcolga]

"Officer, there's a man shooting poop into the air with fireworks. Send help immediately!" 😆

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

Haha that would be a new one for the Police, especially since I know many of the officers there 😂 Luckily we fired those off legally!

[@boerenlul1981]

People who say driving in the Netherlands is often pointless probably never left the Randstad area

[@albertlay8927]

I hope someone will have the idea to make a tunnel or bridge for cyclists and pedestrians to cross that planned highway. Since highways cost a lot of money, I assume there will be a big budget, so surely a little money can be found for a crossing.

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

I see more thought and priority being placed on safer and more convenient crossings, which is encouraging! Safety improvements need to be standard, and it will only help with traffic to make walking and biking convenient (not to mention all the other great benefits for cities who prioritize walking and biking in their planning and design). I don’t have confirmation that a separate crossing would be built, but I have heard that it has been discussed here before. I will certainly advocate for a crossing here!

[@matthewprather7386]

Are bicycles for transportation or are bicycles for entertainment or exercise? This is the difference in perception that drives the market for communities to have particular characteristics. The majority of Americans see bicycles as toys for kids to play on, or as sporting equipment for the ambitious (and weird) adults.. Or as vehicles for poor people, primarily in other countries.. We Americans need to up-level the humble bicycle to be a vehicle to be used with pride!

[@markvanderknoop131]

For 30 years I drove everywhere, and now I sold my car and bike everywhere or use public transportation. It's way more relaxing because you need to directly interact with someone so you don't wander of in your own thoughts as much.

[@KwizzyDaAwesome]

Utah: "There's not enough houses and prices are crazy high. Too bad. Nothing to be done." Dutch: "Same. People are protesting because the government should do something about it." Utah: "You can DO that?!"

[@williamhuang8309]

It seems like you chose a nicer american neighbourhood?

[@sambishop1667]

Do you mean the American neighborhood seems nicer than the Dutch neighborhood? I suppose so, and I think I know why. I live in the American neighborhood, and I've heard people describe it as something from a different country because it's so unusual. I think that everyone involved (from the developer to the city leaders) feel like they have something to prove with this development. It's intended to be an example in the region of a better way of building.

[@williamhuang8309]

@@sambishop1667 Of all the American neighbourhoods he could choose, he chose one of the better ones. So I'm comparing this neighbourhood to some other American neighbourhoods. But yeah, this new urbanist style of development has a lot of potential.

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

There are definitely some pretty terrible American neighborhoods that could be compared! This video was specifically looking at two new urbanist communities to compare. New urbanist communities are typically master planned and in a more suburban setting, with some being better than others. Daybreak is one of the larger new urbanist communities in the US, but there are others such as Stapleton, CO; Mueller District, TX; Seaside, FL; and more. I like to show what is possible here in the US and that more livable suburbs can be done here. I will say Daybreak isn’t perfect by any means, but certainly better than typical US auto-centric suburbs!

[@Blackadder75]

@@sambishop1667 no he meant it seems nicer than usual in the USA, it still doesn't reach Dutch levels but it's getting there. Only the houses are larger in the US, if you care for that. But for $1 million you can also buy a similar large house in the Netherlands, we just have less of them in total

[@sambishop1667]

​@@Blackadder75, yes, it really wasn't clear what the OP meant initially. I think it's obvious that the Dutch neighborhood is nicer if bike-friendliness or just the design in general were the criteria, so I assumed he was referring to the more superficial aspects. The designers of Daybreak have done a very good job of making the place beautiful.

[@burgienl]

Actually, the creation of Wateringse Veld was not that idyllic. The ground originally belonged to the Wateringen municipality and was a mix of agriculture and nature. But it was annexed by The Hague because they wanted to expand. This forced several municipalities to consolodate and form the Westland municipality. That new municipality started building houses along the borders with The Hague to protect itself from further annexation. As a result agriculture and nature disappeared in that area. On top of that way more people started living there and surrounding infrastructure could not keep up. This video prolonges the myth that everybody cycles in The Netherlands and that public transport is so great. The fact is that cycling is only feasable for local transport. And public transport is only an option if you have to travel to specific places. This video does not show all the traffic jams on the highway next to Wateringse Veld that are the result of building Wateringse Veld. As a Dutchman I'm getting a bit tired and annoyed by this fantasy cycling culture.

[@dianavanleeuwen8830]

Je hebt helemaal gelijk! Openbaar vervoer in Westland is niet goed geregeld en Den Haag hijgt in onze nek.

[@baddriversofcolga]

Daybreak is interesting, though it's a shame to see all the turfgrass.

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

The design of Daybreak isn’t too bad for an American suburb. The turf grass definitely is not a good use of water in a dry place like Utah! Grass in some play areas is fine, but grass for aesthetics doesn’t make sense.

[@miriam4235]

I love you start the Dutch route by cycling over a footpath where you are clearly not supposed to bike. 😂

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

Haha yes! I will let The Dutch Way answer to that one 😂 I rode and filmed the Daybreak parts of the video!

[@sanderw7153]

You mean the paths between the houses with the little fences at the entrance? Pretty sure those are multi use. They just put those fences up to prevent cyclists from going in and out at high speed.

[@benandolga]

It's so sad that is so typical for American politicians to learn from Europe considered for them as horrible humiliation! It is not about being conservative or liberal but learn how to make life better!

[@markvanderknoop131]

I'm not emused.😂

[@aarond309]

Might I suggest that you add a link to @The-Dutch-Way ‘s youtube channel in your description?

[@bikequestwithmikewest]

Thank you for spotting that, I meant to do that! I want to ensure The Dutch Way gets full due credit on this for helping with the script, filming the Netherlands ride, and most importantly for teaching me so much about planning through the making of this video 😃

[@ArumesYT]

5:15 I actually agree with what you say about the government, even though it's such a huge oversimplification that I'd call your claim a plain LIE. Anyway... There's no lack of housing at all. WE ARE the problem. The world population has QUADRUPLED in the past century. Our overbreeding is the main cause of many environmental problems, not just housing. Environmentally, having a baby is the worst thing you can do for our planet at the moment.

[@markknoop6283]

Well you can do something about it. What are you waiting for.

[@mypointofview1111]

We get it, the usa sucks at quality of life and ease of getting around for all ages and abilities