​​Why The Netherlands Is Insanely Well Designed

​​Why The Netherlands Is Insanely Well Designed
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[kit bits]

As a Dutchie I’m proud of you for trying to speak our language and not accidentally summoning a demon

[Ikkie]

The way he said "utrecht" made me think he was dutch himself

[j vdb]

@Ikkie Yeah me too i thought he's from Limburg lol

[kit bits]

@Ikkie Oh my god it’s creepy how well he pronounced that-

[Dodo]

As a Dutchie, I was impressed too, but couldn't help but chuckle at his attempts to pronounce the names of the dams.

[Bianca]

As a foreign university student in Amsterdam all I can say is that it's a joy to live here. While there certainly are some painful downsides (especially related to finding affordable housing), the rest just works almost seamlessly in my experience. I live in the southern outskirts of Amsterdam, but have a direct metro line at my doorstep which takes me directly to uni in 15 minutes. Also, the way university itself is organized is completely on another planet considering the fees (as a EU citizen). After nightmarish experience in Italian universities Dutch university feels like I hit the jackpot.

[Ammar]

How is it studying in the netherlands? Do they teach you in English?

[Luc Hugo Kolhorn]

@Ammar they do!

[Bianca]

@Ammar all universities I have checked out during my time here have a high number of bachelor degrees which are taught 100% in English. And most mainstream tracks (ie. Economics, Political Science, Law, Computer Science and so forth) have a fully English-taught bachelor available. Master degrees are usually only taught in English. Quality of education is superior compared to where I came from (Italy). Facilities are top-notch and the curriculum is designed so that you are not just attending lectures/reading books but are actually practicing your skills every single week in seminars, tutorials and with short assignments that reinforce what you have already learned. Excellence is generally well-rewarded, and studying in my experience really pays off. Student life is vibrant but it depends on your monetary resources as well. If (like me) you are not wealthy and live on a budget of well under 1k a month you need to kinda learn how to be smart about your expenses (which is actually possible), but at least here in Amsterdam there is something that can fit everyone's bill. Plus getting any form of side job as waiter/bartender etc. is ridiculously easy even if you don't speak Dutch. In short: totally recommended!

[Ammar]

@Bianca Thank you so much for the informative reply! I'm considering getting my masters after I finish my bachelor's degree, but still haven't decided where lol. Your response helped me a lot in eliminating some other choices though, as I was worried about the ability to work there.

[ジェナ]

@Bianca i was thinking about doing my master's degree in Europe and Italy was one of the countries I was considering. It would really help if you could explain why you wouldn't recommend it?

[AL]

As a man moving from the shiny Dubai to The Netherlands, I used to see cycling as an underminer of social status, and I was trying to avoid it. After a few years, cycling became a real joy on day-to-day basis. You never know what you're missing on until you experience it.

[Brozius]

You remind me of a friends of mine who moved from the US to the Netherlands. His father moved to the Netherlands as well after his wife died, he was a grumpy man when he was riding his car but when he discovered cycling he started to smile. Now I always see him cycling and smiling and having a good day.

[plork71]

Even our Prime Minister goes to work on his bike :D

[Inservio]

It IS an underminer of social status my friend, that is PRECISELY the point. We do not tolerate self-infatuation. Our motto is "doe normaal" which translates to "normalise your behaviour". Arrogance, social status, avarice, all of that instagram horseshit, has no place in this nation, least of all in the north. I live in Friesland and we regularly throw people in the canal to cool off when they get too impressed with themselves. :)

[TheFPot]

@Inservio doe normaal dutchies are the most boring kinda of dutchies. Most fun Dutch people I've been around all hated that term and I can understand why. It's just absolutely mundane.

[Styreta X]

@TheFPot normaal, normal, norm. Mundane, median. Of course people calling themselves average tend to be average ;) The attitude goes a long way to helping combat bullying or looking down on others, but it can also tear down those that are doing well or better than average. The knife cuts both ways unfortunately

[Mach68]

The Netherlands is living proof of how necessity breeds innovation.

[Bologna Beef]

Israel even more

[Ophir Botzer]

@Bologna Beef Yep, but in transportation we don't do a such a good job, I guess the necessity didn't exist (it starts to tho)

[MCJ]

​@Bologna Beef One thing Netherlands can learn from Israel is keeping foreigners out. To be specific int. students

[avery]

@MCJ💀💀

[DavidSoup]

@MCJ what's the problem with international students?

[Kevin de Roo]

Other cool well-designed things here in the Netherlands are traffic lights at intersections. Not only do they turn green based on proximity sensors, they also come with a smart feature: They program the lights to turn green when the time you take to get to the intersection is less than the time it takes for a car on the intersection to leave it. This means that even though the intersection might still be occupied by another car, you are already allowed to accelerate, because by the time you reach the intersection the other car will be gone. This means that, for example, a traffic light that would normally take 22 seconds to turn green, now turns green in about 17 seconds. As you can tell this saves a lot of time.

[Nina R]

Meanwhile, you got americans being believing that "no one should drive quick or move for anyone, it's just one light!' without any knowledge that accumulates dramatically when you have so many the cars on a huge distance of road which leads to traffic meaning lost time, higher chance for accidents, and more emissions. Imagine if they could just think a little further than whatever is in front of them.... Then again, they were raised not to.

[Gary Koblitz]

I've been to the Netherlands a couple of times. It is truly one of the most amazing infrastructures and cultures in the world.

[YOUR 140 RAVES]

Time to enrich it with africans

[avery]

@YOUR 140 RAVEScope

[maliook]

@YOUR 140 RAVES?

[Baponator Mapping]

The Dutch houses are not smaller because of the cycling paths but because there's simply less space in general. The population density of the Netherlands is 3.4 times higher than that of Florida, in the US they could easily build Dutch-style infrastructure without having to reduce the size of their homes.

[Drew]

I really think many comparisons between the US and many European countries are doomed to fall flat, just because of the vast differences of problems and workable solutions that exist.

[Zoutvat]

A crucial aspects (as a Dutchie) is what he said 'time-effieciency'. By also having a denser housing area, overall, commuting times will be reduced. I live in the outer edge of the city of Groningen, 200.000 inhabitans. But I can reach all major facilities in this city within 20 minutes on my bike. Because the neighbourhoods are dense and don't waste space (and thus create distance) on houses. Besides, a smaller house is cheaper, useless less energy and invites more a more cosy lifestyle with those you life with :)

[Danenel]

yeah but if they kept building big detached homes then you’d have to bike much further to get anywhere cause everything is just further apart, even if the bike paths were all top tier dutch quality

[Draggy654]

@Zoutvat the us simply has the luxury of being inefficient. What makes america so powerful is the land its massive and resource rich its protected and in places drop dead gorgeous americans as a people are quite unremarkable but the piece of land history gave to this nation is anything but i am someone who immigrated to the usa from a small country and thats what i contribute largely to the power of this nation

[Exgrmbl]

@Draggy654 I would certainly not say that Americans are unremarkable, quite the opposite. Canadians on the other hand? now we're talking.

[Unus Sed Leo]

The Dutch combined a few characteristics in ZOAB, the open structure asphalt that makes driving in the rain way easier. It was the blend of 'always complaining', 'the Dutch weather' and 'skills' that created this unique structure to make roads safer during rain.

[Libra]

After watching this video i'm being reminded of how appreciative i feel living in the netherlands (with it's infrastructure). Brought up with bikeriding as main need of transportation i couldn't invision myself without a bike! Doing groceries, going into town, nothing without my bike.

[kit bits]

Right?! Hard to believe, that we’re one of the few countries that use bicycles as a main form of transport! Couldn’t imagine living without one at this point

[ISeaFools]

Im from the UK but I've lived in the Netherlands almost my entire life. Everything you explained in this video is absolutely true, and it made me reappreciate the everyday things I took for granted. Thank you!

[Rosa Lacroix]

i moved from the netherlands to Ireland and basically feel very unsafe when driving a bicycle. Not only do i have to drive left but almost all the time i have to drive on the same lane as cars, which either tailgate like crazy or when passing almost hit me. People in ireland dont seem to be used to bicycles at all, and there is no room for bicycles on their roads. This limits me alot to go places, driving a car is sadly no option for me.

[Inservio]

The Irish terrain is not what I would class as ideal for bicycles, though. Public transportation really should get an overhaul their, however, you are absolutely right.

[MartinMcFly]

I could say the same to Germanys bicycle roads. But I am happy that my local city where I live is going to expand the access to cycling and building new roads for them.

[Makofueled]

Yeah I'm Irish and I don't bike specifically for this reason

[Ihssane Taibi]

Same happened to me :( moved from my home country the Netherlands to France and biking here is just difficult.

[Hungry Hippo]

It’s annoying for drives to deal with too

[Akbarits]

As A flemish/dutch person, Cycling is really popular in the dutch parts of belgium and the netherlands itself. I must say tram's are also a really popular option of transportation.

[NetherlandsBall]

Hallo, Medemaat

[MB]

I must say, cycling in the Netherlands is a joy, it's so easy and accesible which enables us to use it on a day to day basis. Going to friends, school, work or to go out on a friday and saturday. As Dutchies we are drunk cycling experts! Hahaha

[Lenn Beld]

i can confirm

[Dylan Dylan Toriyama]

@MB...But it's not joy with hot-headed people in the car or on their scooters. Dutch people can be very hot-headed, overemotional, and quick to anger in an irrational manner seen it many times in public when I was over there.

[MB]

@Dylan Dylan Toriyama Just stay on the right side, stick your hand out when going into a different direction, that's basically it. But we grow up with it so for us it's really easy

[Benobi's Theatre]

I wish the UK had more of these. It makes me so paranoid when I'm on the same road as a car. Because I feel they're either going to knock me off my bike or I am holding up the traffic.

[MB]

@Benobi's Theatreespecially with busses, scary stuff

[nielsS97]

Another fun fact about bikes in The Netherlands. We have to so called phenomanom called "OV-fiets" it's basically a bike which you can rent (first 24 hours free) at a transit station. So you can go by your own bike towards your transit station, go to your desired station by public transport and then rent a bike to go to your final destination. It's really clever.

[Ben Bakker]

the downside being that biking from one station and wanting to leave it at a different station is charged extra (a lot).....

[DryDroplets]

Hoe krijg ik die eerste 24 uur gratis tho want ik lever altijd binnen 24u in en moet toch betalen

[RiskyWisky]

@DryDroplets ik denk het is alleen voor nieuwe OV klanten.

[Ron Around The Globe]

@DryDroplets Fiets stallen is 24 uur gratis. OV Fiets is denk ik 4.50 per dag

[Otto Reinstra]

It's actually not clever at all because there are usually no OV bikes available when you need them most. You can't count on them. It's a system that doesn't scale.

[Audreaya Rose]

its beautiful and satisfying seeing the suburbia layout being so uniform and designed on efficiency which overall all benefits everyone. I really hope more countries adapt to a model like this

[Ricardo Michalewski]

The landmass of the Netherlands is not 41.543 km² as stated at 00:28. This is the total surface area of the Netherlands. However, 18,41% of this total surface area is water. The landmass of the Netherlands is aprox 33.893 km².

[Mandy Nahay]

Hi, I was born and raised in the Netherlands and yes, the bikes are a sight to be seen. I live in the USA where it is hard to find anything without hills. It’s very healthy, keeps your posture nice etc. This video actually makes me proud of that small country that has infrastructure that, probably, no one else has. Although the bikers in Amsterdam are rude and know they have the right of way everywhere. Hup Holland hup.

[Jordy Schol]

Also the maintenance of our Dutch roads is of crazy quality; a crack, bump or hole in the pavement is very rare to find. As a Dutchmen, we could always tell by looking at the quality of the roads to know if we crossed the border with Belgium or Germany, cause the change was almost instant.

[Het Geitje]

I always have that to lol 🤣

[Jib Berism]

Yeah, but we're getting worse unfortunately. Still, this rang true for a long time, and mostly still does.

[indykatley]

You apparently haven't been to Zaandam. At least I can look at the streets of Zaandam when I miss hills and mountains. I agree about the Belgian roads, though :)

[Gilian]

Yes, I live in Middelburg close to Belgium. Crossing the highway border into Belgium is like going off road ;). That's of course a joke but the difference is really kind of ridiculous.

[Michael Woerdman]

Haha so true!

[Martin Houde]

The great thing about Schiphol Airport is that it's a single terminal with runways built around it, next to a highway, and with the "normal" train station underneath (it's not a specific train to the city center, like the Narita-Tokyo train for instance). It's really easy to get there by train to pick a friend visiting, and get home by train again. There are some problems with design, of course. One being the common sacrifice of pedestrian access for bikes, for instance (sometimes there is no sidewalk, but more commonly the sidewalk is receiving all the street furniture and can be difficult to navigate with strollers and other similar items). And with mopeds using bike lanes, they can be dangerous for any pedestrian wandering by. And those cameras for bike garages are needed. Bike theft is plaguing the Netherlands; the big garages are the safe places.

[Atlantic State]

The Netherlands has cities that are actually human-friendly .. car centric cities are not really suited for humans , and the good thing is that we're starting to understand it

[Tony Needs Hobbies]

Watching this video made me feel really proud to be a Dutchman! Living here day to day makes everything seem normal, but it's a joy to have these efficient means of transportation - although we tend to complain a lot about the railway system (which actually isn't so bad). Thanks for creating this interesting and entertaining video!

[sajoymenon]

Love the new insights into this wonderful country. Thank you! I daresay that the mentality of a population that is shaped by history, culture, resource availability and even the climate and topography decides it's planning of the environs and infrastructure. Having said that, it's inexcusable if other countries do not learn at least a few things and their governments educate the populace. Anyway, kudos to the people of The Netherlands.

[12alfa]

Well, look at all the parts of Germany that now has somewhat decent bicycle infrastructure. And it keeps growing at an ever increasing pace too. Sure, it is where it should be, by Dutch standards, but it is getting there slowly.

[wendy guchelaar]

Hey, it might be interesting to dig deeper in the origin of the Noordoostpolder. Because we MADE that land. I have lived there for 18 years and although there is not much to do, the history of the different villages is very interesting. It's also the place where many of the Dutch tulips are grown.

[Michael Kwarts]

He kind explained this, without going in detail

[Oscar]

A big part missing in this video is zoning. Because we do not have to build around zoning, we can make sure shops are always a bicycle trip away. If shops or cultural things were further away it would create a hassle with public transport or cars. I think that the great public transport, walkable/cyclable distances and people-focussed infrastructure is what creates this amazing cycle centered culture. Whenever I am abroad, I am actively triggered by the presence of so many cars near/in city centres. It's the one place where it is literally the most viable, cheapest, healthiest and easiest way to design such a centre EDIT: small correction, Netherlands does have zoning, but not zoning in the way of only 1 function per zone. More like we don't want massive distribution centres near a city centre kind of rules

[Dutch Man]

We do have zoning in the Netherlands! But the zoning rules are different. Every square inch of the country is covered by a 'bestemmingsplan' which limits its use and strictly defines its purpose.

[Hendrikus Scherphof]

I recognize the experiences abroad. The smell, the sound, and the fact that you have to use a taxi or public transport for what would be a 15 minute bike ride

[Saddutchman]

I'm Dutch and biking in Amsterdam scares the crap out of me.

[Ivo Tichelaar]

@Saddutchman It's easy when you are used to it. Every city gas slightly different informal rules. I was at ease in Amsterdam, but felt really unsafe when I moved to Leiden.

[Terry Coontz]

American zoning is the worst 😮‍💨

[MohidPvE]

Netherlands was, my home for most of my childhood and I look forward to going back there, I just can’t grasp why it is so exotic and different in other countries such as England, where I am now for children to independently and safely ride anywhere, especially to school on their bikes. I remember when I was 5/6 and riding to my school all by self, safely, on roads too, the training was amazing for children and it’s so useful and I will never forget my time there :)

[N Zeusman]

Exotic, you have got to be fucking kidding me

[MohidPvE]

@N Zeusman why u mad for

[N Zeusman]

@MohidPvE Sorry m8 was boozing last night apologies.

[MohidPvE]

@N Zeusman nah bro nothing to apologise for it's all good

[Ice in the park IITP]

It does have a bit of an exotic vibe in the summer

[Naros]

Rotterdam really did go through an amazing transformation, from dirty industrial harbour hellhole full of cars everywhere, to a pretty nice cultural city with nice parks and wide walkways. The center is still unpleasant to drive in, however. :) Which encourages alternative methods of transportation, I guess. (unfortunately it also has plenty of less than safe crossings, but that aside)

[Klaes Regis]

I had to work there for my studies about 15 years ago, it was an ugly city then. When I was done there they were just about to change the train station to something civil. Last week I was in Rotterdam and it had improved immensely; it could also have been that I was on the other side of town.

[Naros]

@Klaes Regis Do you remember the road straight out of the train station? It used to be a mess of streets for cars, now there's that broad lovely walkway, with bicycle paths and tram rails flanking it.

[Paul Beaucuse]

Rotterdam is the only place in The Netherlands I somewhat the feeling I am in a real city, with urban culture. Amsterdam and The Hague feel so provincial and "stiff".

[Naros]

@Paul Beaucuse Mind telling me where you are from so I can get a better feel for the larger context of your experiences?

[IceJool]

man i remember biking to school everyday, i even used my bike after school, i always went to my friends houses that way. i always felt so much freedom riding around my village and i still completely remeber the layout of the village i used to live in. my parents weren't that concerned either with me going outside regularly due to how bike friendly and overall safe it was

[LOEKASH]

The system is about the exact same in Belgium, but there is one major downside: We aren't nearly as good in designing roads as our Northern neighbours. It's extremely inconsistent which streets have a bike lane, and the ones that have them often give the impression that they were just cut from the sidewalk. So moving from street to street is not only unpredictably dangerous, but there's often not even enough space. We encourage usage of the bike without realization of how dangerous it is here.

[Waldemar]

Something to consider about Dutch bikes: They're for everyday use, not sports. That is to say, the seating arrangement is such that your power stroke is less than optimal, but your posture is more comfortable and allows you to keep your head more upright. Edit: They are also made out of steel, instead of metal alloys or carbon fibre, so they're relatively-speaking very affordable.

[Nico de Boer]

Wich also allows for more situational awarenes. You see more and thus can react better to a changing situation. Also cycling speed is lower than sportsbikes so you got more time to react, and accidents are on average less harmful.

[BBallMOU]

And because the city is so plain its not a problem... I live in Barcelona, and even though the use of bikes is pretty widespread, in the place I live you can't possibly use a fully manual bike... Even less in the summer...

[Prince Moonbeam]

You can get a lot of different seatings, handles etc also alot of people use mountainbikes for short travel distances

[Mandla Nkomo]

So you can't escape from the police on Dutch bikes?

[Waldemar]

@Mandla Nkomo you still could, but you can't go off-road.

[Zeta The Creator]

As a Aussie I have been seeing a lot more people riding bikes these days because of infrastructure change more bike lanes are being made and E bikes are becoming massively popular

[Autistic POV]

whenever you cross the border from belgium to the netherlands via small roads or highway . you can feel the difference . i've drove a semi truck years ago and in the netherlands it's very easy to get into the city with a big truck. the bike paths between cities are very safe .

[Yannis CHUPIN]

Fun fact, the 2nd European Air Port (CDG) has replicated this rail connectivity system. You already can take A RER or a TGV in the airport itself. There are also plans to expand it with the CDG express a train that will take you in a few minutes in the middle of Paris. Finally a Métro line is being built to connect the airport. Loved the video, it is really interesting to see what works and not the worst for once.

[Thomas]

As much as I like Utrechts bike garage, I'd say the most important infrastructure in the Netherlands is definetly the Delta Works (one of the 7 world wonders). It protects a big chunk of the country from flooding. The mostly urbanized part, hosting nearly half of the Dutch population.

[acid]

I was in Rotterdam recently and I absolutely fell in love with the country. I am now planning to move there, such a fascinating place, and surprisingly affordable.

[cobus B]

To busy here, not much houses for sale, ugly weather, stay away, its not that fantastic..

[Tacitus Kilgore]

@BJORN LLANEZA but he's still right

[Randy Daytona]

It’s freezing! Don’t come 😂

[Paretozen]

Please do come and feel welcome! The Netherlands has and always will be welcoming to all people who want to make it happen here.

[David]

The amount of bike paths is insane. Me and a few friends decided to do a road trip and bike all the way from Leeuwarden to Eindhoven, that's literally across the country. And guess what? We barely had to rely on google maps, signs and the well organized roads were good enough. That says a lot about the bike infrastructure in the Netherlands.

[Jippe Hiemstra]

you biked from leeuwarden to eindhoven?? thats insane

[Ramona]

Leeuwarden to Eindhoven is definitely not "across" the Netherlands. Eemshaven (Groningen) to Sint Anna Ter Muiden (Zeeland) would be. Still pretty impressive what you did.

[DBs]

@Ramona Jesus haha, don't take it so literally. It is from top to bottom almost.

[Gijs V]

Eindhoven is the best city in the Netherlands!! Eindhoven de gekste

[Sandra Fernandes]

@DBs exactly what I was thinking lmao

[Jasper Snippe]

Thank you for this video. As a Dutchy this gives me a good sense of pride! Its funny to see that Dutch People complain the most about the weather and about our public transportation (trains in general) unjustified imo because over 90% of the trains run on time. 8.1% have a delay of less than 3 minutes. But when you come to the netherlands, keep in mind that travel by Train is expensive!

[tech9803]

Dutch trains are great as a tourist, announcements are also in English.

[DarkholdDoom]

I really like this video, bc it feels like such a logical thing to have our infrastructure the way it is. Mostly bc I live here, but the way they explain everything makes me realize we are really blessed to have an infrastructure as good as it is

[M A Q U E Z]

Im from the Netherlands, and study in rotterdam. I commute to rotterdam every day by train but i do occasionally ride my ebike to rotterdam, and i can say that it is still one of the most frustating places to cycle. The bicycle lanes are narrow, there's a godawful ammount of traffic lights, and there's quite a few places where cars still get priority over bikes. The car centric design after the war really hurt the city and the difference is verry noticable when you're used to any other town in the netherlands.

[E- R]

Nice video, some additions: It's not a general practice for commuters to bring a bike on the train, unless it's in a city with a metro (subway) system, or if you have a foldable bike. It's also rather expensive to do it on a day to day basis in the long distance trains, and it's not allowed during rush hour or when the train is crowded. Most people have one or two bikes, one on either end, or take a bus/metro or tram from the train station to their workplace. Furthermore as far as I know the biking lanes are not really designed, but rather have grown. Before 1900 most people walked, even pretty long distances on an every day basis. Later from 1900 on, when bicycles became more common, it was added as a means of transport if you could afford it. The first bicycle lanes were commissioned by the government, but I think that it was not to accommodate the bike riders but rather the other drivers like horse and carriage, cars and people walking. There was a need to separate the unpredictable cyclists from the rest of the traffic. Also, a lot of bicycle organizations - most well known is the ANWB - lobbied for and built bicycle lanes for recreational use. In my experience only since the eighties did the bicycle become a serious means of transport for the government and the cities, and cities realized that stimulating bicycle use over car use is beneficial for the city traffic. That's when the really large design projects in which bicycles were favored over cars started appearing in the cities and towns.

[weeardguy]

Even if it's a metro, it's expensive and at NS and GVB (don't know about HTM and RET) also not allowed to bring your bike on board during the peaks. Pity that there's a complete lack of personnel, so most people don't give a fuck and take their bike with them in the peaks anyway.

[Dew Alam]

I believe in the last 10 years cycling safety has gotten much better in London but there’s a long way to go still with many boroughs not keeping up with laying down safe and continuous bike paths. The city planners really need to look at what the Netherlands has done and emulate more practical solutions that will benefit all people of this great city.

[Yoshifan456]

As a Dutch person, it feels like such a logical thing to have our infrastructure the way it is (I walked into that large bike-garage by accident and would have forgotten about it if you hadn't mentioned it was the biggest in Europe) because I live here, but I really like your way of explaining it and that it could be implemented in other countries as well, which is great! Oh and the pronounciation of the big deltaworks were awful, but at least you tried and Oosterscheldekering is a word with like almost all the impossible to pronounce sounds in it, so you are forgiven ;)

[StaringCat]

Based

[StaringCat]

Klopt als een bus

[Thitadhammo]

@StaringCat Het sluit als een bus. Het klopt als een zwerende vinger. :-)

[Thitadhammo]

A fair attempt for a foreigner, I'd say.

[StaringCat]

@Thitadhammo de uitspraak is ‘het klopt als een bus’ ;) van die tweede uitspraak heb ik nog nooit gehoord!

[a. demifemiflapo]

I cycled everyday with my cousins in North Brabant near Eindhoven. Everywhere you went: Sidewalk, bike lane, road. The flat land helped a lot too. It was so much fun!

[Klara Mathilda]

Very interesting! Thank you so much for this work. I am a visual learner and you catered perfectly to me with your editing :)

[Thijs_v_Dam]

I'm Dutch, and i know how hard it is to say the names of Dutch places (5:57) when you're not from here, but the fact that you tried warms my heart extually. Because, you TRIED. And it wasn't even that bad!

[Unteragen]

I bet if he wasn't white it wouldn't warm your heart as much

[Emil Johansson]

Back in 2013 I biked from mu home in Sweden down to Mont St Michel i France. While Belgium, Germany and France were good, the Netherlands were fantastic to ride through. Such a fantastic network of roads just for bikes.

[Julian Aristizabal]

I returned to my American hometown after staying in Amsterdam for a little while and it kind of just frustrated me how much more simple things could be…. My city is very comparable populationwise to Amsterdam, and yet it is sprawling, unsafe for cyclists, and has 3 tram lines that only come every +20 min. It just leaves me wanting those simple solutions. There are projects aiming to do that but they just get no funding :/

[Tómas Ingi Hrólfsson]

A small correction: The purple lines on the map at the beginning of the video are not bike paths, but bike routes - that means any road or path that is marked with a corresponding sign. Many of the purple lines are not bike paths at all, but in the same vein there are many bike paths that are not part of a purple line. The bike paths are by and large much more irregularly placed than the bike routes.

[TheBlackSwordsman 99]

Yeah comparing map's like that to other countries is also very misleading. The Netherlands is pretty much completely flat so they can build roads all over the country.

[Aivin Gast]

Exactly, it's the 'numbered-node cycle network', there are many more bike paths (that aren't just a small strip along a heavily traffic road).

[Dutch Man]

@TheBlackSwordsman 99 And swampy... so it isn't as easy as you think! And there are many rivers and canals, that need bridges or tunnels to get to the other side, so again not as easy. Besides that the highway network and rail network are dense as well, and cyclists are not permitted to use them, so again a lot of infra needed to over- or underpass those.

[TheBlackSwordsman 99]

@Dutch Man I never said it was easy, but it is still a lot easier than building around mountains or large hills, and the Dutch are masters of water, so swamps aren't as much of a challenge to them.

[Bodi Games]

@TheBlackSwordsman 99 The Netherlands being flat and therefore Its so easy for them is So misleading. You know nothing buddy.

[izful]

As a person from the netherlands i gotta say that this is a very very good video, and everything is well explained. Keep up the good work!! U just got a new subscriber😁

[Jaap Feenstra]

I grew up in the Netherlands and regularly go back. My wife and I lived in a handful of other countries, but mostly in Canada. To replicate what the Netherlands did with their biking culture is not that simple. Ever tried to cycle in the tropics? You will need to change clothes once you get your destination-even on a short errand. Also, ever tried to cycle in a hilly city? My daughter does it in Vancouver, BC, but it's a little harder for older people to do so. Just to say, the climate and topography really helps the Netherlands.

[aanxb33]

id like to add that Dutch weather is absolutely batshit crazy, too. Not the same as the tropics, but still. I remember a few months ago it was snowing, raining, and sunny just in the span of a few days. This weather is not limited to weekly changes, but daily as well. I can wake up and see it is raining heavily outside, then go to school and by the time ive arrived it is hot as hell and the sun is shining again. I just never know what to expect. And not to speak of the "tegenwind" we get while biking. It is annoying as hell, but it is part of our culture to just bike no matter the circumstances. Raining? "je bent niet gemaakt van suiker", or "you are not made out of sugar" as they say. I guess the fact that we are as flat as a pancake is definitely in our favor tho :)

[zivkovicable]

The sometimes brutal winds in the Netherlands often makes one wish for hills as a wind break. Anyway, for the last couple of years e'bikes have outsold non electric bikes in the Netherlands, making the hill & headwind issue irrelevant. .

[yutiros]

I'd much rather bike outside in the wind when it's hot than be stuck in the oven that you guys call a cat waiting for the ac to kick in. You're gonna sweat if you're in the tropics, no matter if you bike or not. And yeah, the fact that the Netherlands are flat is helpful, but don't act like any little hill is the death of cycling infrastructure. First off all, it's good exercise, something that a lot of people in North America need. And for the elders who really can't do it, electric bikes exist. My grandpa recently bought one and he's having so much fun with it on moutain trails. It's far from impossible to implement proper human-centric infrastructure, it's just that car-centrism is the basis of modern north american urban development.

[Judge Mental]

as someone who was only a weekend in amsterdam but his whole childhood on Dutch campsites I really have to say the people are beautiful there not only on the outside but most of them on the inside too. I never felt fear when I was alone because I knew when I would ask, everyone would help me. Nowadays I´m like 5-6 Times in the netherlands for vacation and maybe after my studys want to move there with my wife. Any suggestions? I am German.

[Paul Beaucuse]

It depends what you like and what line of work you want to do. Some areas contain more jobs more for "services" , some for for industry. Also there are considerable cultural differences between the North and the South, even if it as a tiny country.

[Sjengstah]

I would recommend South-limburg many people there speak also german and many employers their seek german speakers from time to time

[Modern Music of the Dark Ages]

I really need to say that I enjoy biking in the Netherlands a lot. On the opposite, in my hometown just over the border in Germany, traveling be bike is very unpleasant. There just aren’t that many and efficient bike roads and often as a biker you will be forced to travel on the street without lanes for bikes, even in zones where cars drive pretty fast.

[Chiara Hoijer]

I bike everyday to and from work in The Netherlands. It is actually super easy and great. Although being someone who likes dressing nicely and have my makeup done, cycling gets super uncomfortable during rain, snow & wind😢

[Andi De Vrede]

I remember being in a bus outside of Amsterdam where there was a screen that told you what time you will arrive at the following bus stops but also what trains were departing at the local station and how to link up with them. This wasn't some super tourist bus. Just a regular bus.

[Rein]

most of them have that nowadays

[TH Wales]

Ngl quite a lot of buses in UK feature the same thing

[Andi De Vrede]

@TH Wales I wish it was like that in Glasgow.

[TotalFreek]

Really, i live in the netherlands and i thought that was just a standard in every country

[No_more_spam Please]

@TotalFreek Definitely not in most cities in Brazil.

[er ik]

i live in the Netherlands and this video was very fun to watch and as a fun fact the schiphol airport was build this low because the air pressure would be higher and that makes it more easy for planes to take off

[The Frumious Bandersnatch]

I look at biking in places like the Netherlands and wonder how many people would be as keen on it if they lived where I do. Everywhere I go involves steep hills. I used to ride a bike when I was a student, but spent as much time pushing the bike as in riding them. A few years back I thought that I might get a bike as where I live is well provided with cycleways that are separated from the road. I changed my mind when I looked at the journeys I would have done, and realised that health issues would mean that I would struggle on every journey. I also realised how rarely I ever saw anyone using the cycleways. Bikes are not for everyone nor for every place.

[jamie morrison]

As an Englishman who lived in various parts of the Netherlands in the 90s , and visits regujarly , I can confirm it makes England look and feel positively medieval.

[bslangable]

I love how you managed to wrangle the word positive in there;)))

[Gerard Long]

I will not cease from Mental Fight,🎵🎵Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand: Till we have built Jerusalem,🎶🎵 In Englands green & pleasant Land.🎵🎶 TOW ROW ROW !!!💂🛡📖⚔💂 *ROMANS 5:8--9 ; **8:35**--39 & 11:6 + EPHESIANS 2:8--9 [kjv]* -- *1 CORINTHIANS 15:1--4 [kjv]* The ONLY SOLUTION ..... the gospel of the grace of God !!!👍

[مُحَمَّد🇲🇦]

As a moroccan dutch citiezen i am proud of my country and its achievements

[Bizhan Yadan christ]

Proud rioting when you won

[مُحَمَّد🇲🇦]

@Bizhan Yadan christ yeah thank you💪🏽

[Devin]

@Martin internet praatjes op z’n best

[Marius Sielcken]

@Bizhan Yadan christ they didn't riot when they lost l, did they?

[NetherlandsBall]

Hey makker, het is je boy JeGemiddeldeNederlander

[Ronnie]

As a Dutch guy living in Switzerland I miss the cycling. Although Switzerland has some good bikepaths, and cars do take care, it is not the same bikeculture as you have in the Netherlands, where you praticaly grow up with a bike and it is like a second nature to use it. However public transport is even better in Switzerland with lightrail (sneltram ) even in the smaller towns.

[Fabie le]

Never have I ever feeled so safe to ride my bike as I do now as an international student in the Netherlands, I usually never used my bike in Germany, scared to get overrun by a car

[EccentricGentelman]

I was born in the UK but my family lived in the The Netherlands for a few years and I remember making ample use of the bike paths. When we moved back to the UK I tried it again for a while but having to share roads with speeding cars and thundering trucks made me a nervous wreck.

[Fallon Turner]

Can totally relate to that! It’s just unbearable when cars keep roaring by, they actually leave us no option but to go by car!

[EccentricGentelman]

@Fallon Turner When your pedaling along the road with the traffic speeding by on one side, you know that if you accidentally veer to the right you'll get splattered across someone's windshield. In recent years they've put bike rentals and new cycle paths in my city. But they're really short and don't cover the city at all.

[Natalia Tkaczyk]

Hendo that's true, not sure about the Midlands but roads in the South West are an absolute nightmare to walk/cycle on!

[Miles]

Most of the roads in the netherlands share the road with bike and car. Just as dangerous.

[EccentricGentelman]

@Miles Well when I was there the bike paths had fences separating them from the road and even their own traffic lights. And this was in the middle of a big city.

[Ramon Hop]

I'm Dutch and I cant imagine a life without a bike! We go pretty much everywhere with the bike, including friends, work, school and grocery shops.

[Laylla's Locker]

Coming from Belgrade, Serbia, cycling in Amsterdam and NL's countryside was heaven. But there is one main thing that will prevent popularity of cycling in many other parts of the planet - hills, mountains, and also distance.

[TheFluffy AJ]

i live in louisiana, and the netherlands seems so very nice in comparison. especially with how they put their mind to things and change it. in the usa, especially louisiana, we complain and complain and complain but nothing ever gets done. hell, louisiana is literally one of *the* worst states. high crime, high poverty, low education, low infastructure, and The Most homicidal state by far. all of our other stats are horrible aswell, just look it up online. many sites rank louisiana as the worst state, and i agree as someone whose lived here all my life the crazy thing is though, louisiana is one of the most resource rich states, we absolutely could fix our horrid living conditions but no matter how much of the population is in poverty, which breeds crime and just a whole system of interconnected problems that keep us like this, our supposedly rich state doesnt do shit to help us. your voice doesnt matter here, as long as the rich have their pockets lined they could care less (have i mentioned we are also one of the most corrupt states?). just seeing the dutch listen to their people is incredible to me. ive been working on moving to the netherlands for awhile now, and to see the place actually listens to its people is something i didnt even know was possible. its so very nice to see all of this. i know netherlands has its problems, every country does, but so far it seems like everything i wanted for my life. i cant wait to move out of this hellhole

[Von Taylan]

You are welcome.

[firedevlin]

As someone from The Netherlands, I am proud of the cycling system, the roads, the busses, trains, trams an metros. There are signs everywhere. We are lucky that The Netherlands is flat, otherwise I don't know if I would be cycling as much. Cycling through cold, no problem, rain, also not a big deal, heat, I don't like it, but its doable if you put a cap on. The wind is our biggest enemy. BUT as far as the trains, its insane how many times they cancel them, you have delays. I think if everything was underground, things would be better, if you compare it with other countries (or the metro's from Rotterdam). And don't get me started on how expensive the public transport is. Even though cyclists own the roads, they can be arrogant, act like they never ridden a bike and for some reason, there is never a spot to park your bike in big cities.

[Jankie Hands]

As an italo-spaniard, my mind is always blown everytime i travel to the Netherlands. Love the country

[Saku]

Congrats to the Devs for making the netherlands extremely balanced, gameplay wise Love the world generation

[rindert riemersma]

Dunno tho, The "OmaFiets" is pretty OP!

[Alex Savastru]

Sounds extremely unbalanced to me. No communism, fascism or absolutism to balance out economic prosperity and cultural prowess? The devs might nerf something like that pretty soon.

[Teun van den Brand]

We've patched those flooding bugs with some delta works, and bought the windmill reclamation DLC

[Georgia]

I call it concentration of wealth. There is so much money in the Netherlands that we can spend ten times more for the same road as any other country. You might think it is well designed but actually it is very bad economics and very selfish. One school in the Netherlands builds four schools somewhere else. Do you compliment the Netherlands for having better design or do you blame for being four times as expensive? Culturally the former. Economics wise the latter. Economics > Culture. Because people are still starving and suffering around the world it seems immoral to prioritize culture over economics. I rather have four schools in the world than one well-designed school in the Netherlands.

[Tomatohead FD]

@Georgia Ehm, wow. It was hard to follow but you're saying the Netherlands should spend their money on other countries school's? That's not how economics work. A country generates wealth. And in the case of a stable democracy, spends that wealth on its own education and infrastructure to generate MORE wealth. Building a good school doesn't stop schools from being build somewhere else. It's not selfish either, it's just common sence.

[andrew james]

It’s a shame that in the U.K., there was once loads of railway that the government ceased to operate to save money. This nice flat network that cris-crossed the country could have been easily turned into a cycle / horse riding / walking network but the government were greedy and sold whatever they could, because simply ‘saving’ money is never enough.

[stein k]

as a dutch guy that works everyday on the road driving trucks etc. its all GREAT but theres also a lot of people on the road now that almost never drive a car witch isn't always as safe and as nice. still biking here is amazing!

[Akila]

I really couldn't imagine my life without my bike, I use it for going to school, friends, sports, really anything because almost everything is close by. Traffic is generally really safe here because most people actually follow the traffic rules we have, plus we are so used to having bikes everywhere that cars and busses know to pay attention to them. Almost nobody wears a helmet or bright clothing because cycling is so safe that it's not really necessary. And we use them day to day so we have very comfortable bikes (omafietsen) that'll make cycling even nicer. And there's always a spot to park your bike, in any city that'll be a guarded parking garage, often close to train stations, which is really efficient.

[Hadassah Steenbeek]

Yes, its true. I go everywhere on my bike. School, store and all. And I really needed to laugh about how you said those Dutch names, because their easy for me!

[Kevin Stephenson]

What a brilliant informative video we need more educational videos like these I learned a lot from this short video. Thanks you very much 👍

[squibbles]

I went to the Netherlands in 2018 and I must say it was one of the best moments in my life ever. Pretty much everything you want to do is doable and everywhere is reachable. After I got home I made plans to move there after getting my bachelor's degree and continue getting my master.

[TheSuperappelflap]

its the most expensive country in the world to live in that is not a microstate or the USA. wouldnt recommend moving here before you get your masters degree. universities here are also some of the most expensive in europe, most other countries will pay you to study there, here it costs a lot of money, if youre an eu resident the tuition is about 2000 a year, non eu resident, 20.000 a year. you will be paying 500 euro in rent for a one room apartment. youd be better off studying in literally any other country in europe.

[Learning Godot]

@TheSuperappelflap 500 euros, that'd prob give you about 15 square meters to live in xD

[Glyn Leine]

@Learning Godot also depends on where in the netherlands. if you study of the east side you can get a 25m2 room for about 350/month. or if you do like me and abuse the public transport system and live outside of the city center, i live in a 70m2 appartement for 350/month

[Learning Godot]

@Glyn Leine it was a joking exaggeration. I wasn't serious

[Nuclear Throne]

In Amsterdam you pay around 800 Euro for a small room (15-25 m2) in a shared house. If you live together with 1 other person it’s around 1400-1800 Euro combined for a 60 m2 apartment. If you want to buy such an apartment it’s around 400-500k on average.

[Manono Youtube]

As a Dutchie, I SO MUCH enjoyed the covid period in Amsterdam. All expat kiddies gone and I met with my city neighbors again. The population size felt 'normal' again. All of us came outside and talked like we had returned from a far and exhausting expedition.

[Judith]

I live in The Hague, and my friend lives in Rotterdam. With the car it only takes 25 minutes to get to her place. It takes about 55 minutes with bike + public transport. I will take public transport every single time I can because it is so much more convenient and so much cheaper to do so. No hassle of finding a parking spot that will cost my entire daily earnings. Public transport is honestly great! Especially if you are a student who can travel with public transport for free on either weekdays or weekends.

[Daphne de Leeuw]

I live in the Netherlands and it is literally more efficient for me to go to school by bike than by car, because you have to drive around some farmland, but there are bike paths through it. It takes the same amount of time and I am not fast

[OfficialZayn]

I live in germany but close to the border to the netherlands. When u drive by bike you notice that border emediately. Bikeroads are added and they are in an insanely good state, no holes no nothing. Its kinda mindblowing how they can do it but germany failes miserably

[Barry Mikokinju]

My heart started singing the Wilhelmus when I heard you pronounce Utrecht way better than any foreigner I've ever heard saying it Edit for spelling, but also don't beat yourself up over the storm surge names: legend has it the Dutch had anycome coming into the country reciting words that have the [sx]-sound to determine whether they were German or not.

[Marc V]

When he said Utrecht I was wondering if this was a Dutch guy who happens to speak English incredibly well

[The Coup]

Yes, it's amazing what a country can do when it has a relatively small but in absolute terms substantial and fairly stable population, a small land mass with a very high urbanization rate, and a great deal of natural resource wealth. Yes, the bike path system in the Netherlands is impressive, but simply comparing it to countries who have entirely different variables of population and land mass is pointless.

[Brozius]

Population size and landmass size cannot be used as an excuse. Only about 2% of the US landmass is used for people to live and work in.

[Sem Nieuwenkamp]

As a Dutchman I am always amazed at how other people see our country, and I have to give you credits for this amazing video! Nicely edited and great storytelling!

[Destroyer Armor]

Your country is awesome

[G Gs]

Please appreciate your country id die to be born in the NL

[MR red]

@wufjebufje best thing to do here is leave

[CrayonBurry]

The Flying Dutchman

[Stavros K.]

Bike lanes in the Netherlands are real lanes where you can safely travel. Here in Belgium, we too have many so called 'bike lanes' but a lot of these consist merely of bike symbols painted on the normal road, highly dangerous and ridiculous.

[duke]

In the Netherlands we do the “Kustmarathon” where we walk from the top of Zeeland to The bottom (Zoutelande) When I walked it last year it was really cool to walk across the Oosterscheldekering!

[Valerie Blaak]

My grandpa worked on the pillars for the delta works and he said it was a hell of a task to get the materials right for the pillars to make them as strong as possible and staying efficient and not breaking down over time

[the FIRST KING👑 dogo]

Thank you're grand father for making sure the water cant attack

[pepper]

I love the way that people who speak english say things like the dutch language and some of the names. The pronounciation is a lot like english and it makes it sound really funny

[AdamESD]

The bike density there really is no joke. Beautiful country. I hope to visit again soon.

[Andy]

As a British guy who has lived in the Netherlands for the past 13 years, I can confirm that this country is VERY well run, it's clean, efficient and a much fairer society than the UK. The Dutch are also cool, friendly people with a dry sense of humour.

[JustinRM]

The British are overall the funniest people I’ve come across in the world. I think British and Dutch people tend to go along fine due to their humor. Even though you guys favor indirect communication compared to Dutch direct communication, in some way the self depreciating humor and dryness mingles really well and makes for great banter.

[Andy]

@JustinRM Yes! I agree with every word, a very accurate description indeed. 😊

[Vad]

@JustinRM i do agree! Sometimes it can get awkawrd when ot comes to their humour however that is just what males it more funnier for me, they really are the funniest people

[Ido van der Veen]

i'm not friendly lol

[De Daisy’s]

As a dutchie I can confirm dry humor is a big thing. I once laughed for 39 minutes at a piece of bread falling down and when i showed it to my friends they did the same. As for the UK I have been there and like always when I’m in another country I’m amazed at the lack of bikes. I take my bike to school everyday and most of my teachers do the same. The concept of a schoolbus seems so weird to me.

[Patrick Monaghan]

been twice to the netherlands and i must say it's my favorite european country. Very nice, kind and smart people. Pretty easy to bike around hehe

[GameChaser]

Bedankt om een video te make over (in mijn ogen, als een nederlander) één van de beste landen ter wereld. GROETJES UIT BRABANT 🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱

[Jeroen Baten]

Just like to say that your pronunciation of the Dutch dam names is absolutely endearing. Don't ever change.

[Ivan Barbic]

Moving to the Netherlands was the best thing I have ever done in my life. 🧡

[cobus B]

And its allready full here, to busy and bad weather. Netherlands must go back to 13 million people at max..

[Peter de Valk]

@cobus B you're free to leave and find your paradise ✨!

[Lukas Vermeulen]

Not gonna lie but Belgium is also starting to feel more like the Netherlands. With more and more biking lanes and car free cities. Yes their is alot off push back and we have been transitioning for many many years but we are also getting there

[Nick Peters]

As a dutch person, watching this video actually made me look differently at my country a bit, and does give me a sense of pride! Though it also makes me chuckle, because most of my fellow dutchies LOVE to curse at the train network. I swear to god, a leaf falls on the tracks and trains will be delayed nationwide.

[Julian Coenen]

Lol I feel like that sentiment is passed down from generation to generation

[Ash Maxwell]

You should try northern rail in the UK lol, absolutely terrible.

[Arthur Reede]

@Ash Maxwell After rearanging my wallet, cause of all the freed up space, I gotta say there is room for improvement along the northern east coast. Although the track is beautiful, better scenes than around dutch traintracks haha

[Unicorn WitchPrincess]

I just came back from the Netherlands and Belgium and it seems like Belgium has that problem with the trains being delayed as people kept jumping in the tracks. The trains in the Netherlands were amaaaaaziiiiing!

[Y de Jonge]

@Unicorn WitchPrincess haha wait until you have to go with it eveyday for school or work. And they not always say in english what is goingon if a train is canseled or something like that. Last week I only had problems with the train and it made me nuts. Came home later than pland. Even had a day I arrived over an hour later than my actual trip had to be and saw many tourist not knowing what was going on because everything was anounced in Dutch. Delays is something I don't enjoy after a long day of school and since my strip is already long without the delay (2,5 hours to get back home from school) 😅

[Floor Meyer]

Its crazy to see that people that aren't from the Netherlands see it like this. For me, a dutchie, its fairly normal to take trains and busses EVERYWHERE, or ride my bike. I ride 8,5 Km to school and that is normal in the netherlands. Most older students even take multiple trains and busses to get to school.

[David van der Sterre]

Basically the Dutch had big brain people work on a system that captures water, decided they wanted to go with a less polluting biking system and improved public transport to encourage the use of buses, trams and trains, and anyone can start a business by just register at a certain institute which is a reason why it now has some of the largest and most innovative companies in the world.

[Sam]

As a Belgian, I'm also proud of the bike infrastructure in Flanders, especially around Antwerp. The southern region, Wallonia, we don't talk about that. It's barely being recognized as Belgian ground by most Flemings

[BlueFireKnight]

I am dutch, Cycling is really fun and a very easy way of transportation. I use my bike almost every day since i go to school I now go to secondary school it is a 35 minute drive on my bike every day. I almost never go with the car/bus/tram/train so that's good for the environment too. So if you are in the Netherlands i would recommend hiring a bike and just go Ride your bike.

[P0LT3RGH31ST]

As a dutch high/middleschooler. We also cycle through, rain. heavy or light doesnt matter, storms and snow. ice on the road? Doesnt matter. You cycle. Basically doesnt matter what weather it is most students cycle through it.

[Twan ten Hooven]

I live in the Netherlands and this video warms my heart. It really shows the creativity of our people, and the deep understanding we have with teamwork. I hope this will remain growing exactly like it has.

[N Zeusman]

If it grows like it does the whole fucking country will be 1 big city i say NO TY!

[Launo]

@N Zeusman so should it stop growing at all?

[N Zeusman]

@Launo Yes it should not get bigger, megacities are unhealthy as ****

[Launo]

@N Zeusman in theory I agree, but in practice you'd have to enforce birth restrictions and severe immigration control in order to stop the growth.

[N Zeusman]

@LaunoI don't think that is necessary, we can try to build vertically instead of expanding horizontally, there are plenty of designs out there and examples including having gardens growing food etc, im not talking about boring-ass flats btw.

[Lekovde]

I'm a Dutchman and I respect it that you tried to get the best out of your Dutch😄, Respect Man!!!

[Fala Coruja]

Respect! This is what you call a people with true Leadership.

[Voskul Reset]

As a Dutchman I still think it sucks that we can't buy Weed in the grocery stores. But you can buy strong alcohol in every one of them.