I've lived in both Amsterdam and Utrecht and I've worked in Rotterdam so I recognised a lot of places and enjoyed to see what good things are happening there. Thank you for that. As a professional in the building of infrastructure in the Netherlands I noticed we used to think of the function of infrastructure as allowing people to go to their destination as efficient as possible. But now I'm happy we consider all kind of other aspects that have to do with taking good care of the environment. It seems that adding greenery is great for many aspects: it improves the environment and biodiversity, reduces air pollution, provides water storage, dampens noise pollution and cools in warm periods and it has a positive effect on the health and social connections of people. So I don't understand there are still places in the world that are not paying attention to all the advantages of a green environment.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching. Totally agree. I suppose more places and the people in them would pay more attention if they knew what was possible and why it is so important to make these transformations. So on that note, I hope more people see this video and the others on the channel. Cheers! John

I think of every car that drives past my house, if only they were bikes instead. I'm also in an old streetcar neighborhood and it was at the end of my block and went to the other(black) side of town. Until about 1914 when it was taken out in favor of cars. Then they widened the main north/ south corridor to cut of the black side of town further before putting in a highway in the 70s that bulldozed the main commercial area and further cut off the black part once and for all. Now there is a small but growing movement to remove the highway and reconnect the city. I am cautiously hopeful but it will take decades if it happens at all. Great video!

@ActiveTowns

26 күн бұрын

Thanks much for watching and for commenting. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John

Thanks so much, John. Loved our conversation and hope others benefit from our discussion.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Thank you, my friend and I'm confident they will. Cheers! John

@lws7394

Жыл бұрын

For your interest in resilience : Dakpark ("roofpark") in Delfshaven , Rotterdam West. When a rail yard is redeveloped, the city needs boxy retail and rainwater collection and the adjacent neighbourhood desperately needs green space . kzread.info/dash/bejne/oqahsq6OhraqZMY.html Benthemplein Rotterdam : a water collecting square at 5 mtr below sea level .. kzread.info/dash/bejne/mmGCw9OiZrfTg7g.html Katwijk Coastal Works/garage . Fishing town needs better sea protection, have a parking shortage for tourists and would like to keep a sea panorama . kzread.info/dash/bejne/i6Kas7KOqLXLh7A.html

@LilRedHead42

Жыл бұрын

With so much knowledge among folks like yourselves, Not Just Bikes, War on Cars, etc, it seems like there should be a way to pool that and implement changes all over the US. For example, is there any talk of meeting with the Secretary of Transportation (Pete Buttigieg) and discussing a more coordinated effort? Everything needs to be done at a local level, with local needs in mind, but a nationwide coordinated effort seems like it would open up a lot of possibilities. And everyone could benefit from the results, such as cooler temps from the greenery, healthier living and lowered cost of living from less car usage, less noise pollution, etc - all the benefits listed by other folks. :)

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

@@LilRedHead42 Thanks so much for watching and for contributing to the conversation. Yes! You are so right. And there are some very good efforts happening at the federal (and state) level, but really we must also enhance the awareness of the general population. Being car-dependent is really all they know, so ultimately, we need more people to learn about what is possible and have a chance to experience it. We are making progress on the ground, as I highlight in my Austin's Dutch-inspired Cycle Network Playlist: kzread.info/head/PLG12KGQK_4xiMRS9tI-V5C-Li1NHVnO3l Cheers! John

Ive been working in the Centrum of Utrecht for 30 years now. Man its really came to life in the last decade. And just because the made place basicly car free and a nice place to walk in.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I've noticed the transformation as well, with multiple visits since 2015. And I'm looking forward to experiencing it again in November. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the channel. Cheers! John

@arturobianco848

Жыл бұрын

@@ActiveTowns Lets hope it starts to rain again soon its not that green anymore but then that probable won't matter in november.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

@@arturobianco848 Yeah, we've been in a destructive cycle of no rain and then too much rain on repeat.

@arturobianco848

Жыл бұрын

@@ActiveTowns I do want to thank you for your channel in that regard. I'm not some green warrior but your channel certainly helps with saving the enviroment. not sure if that's a secundairy goal or just a nice benifit for doing something people should be doing anyway because it improves the quality of there life dramaticly (not wanting to complain but i kind of glad im home everytime i come out of the states and its not the country side of things i dislike in america.

Bringing back the Singel moat in Utrecht isn't one of the first projects like this. In Breda (NL) the harbor was replaced by a culvert and filled in to create a parking place. But people didn't like it. Now there is an underground parking garage, and the harbor was brought back on top of it. In 's-Hertogenbosch (NL) a part of the city moat was filled in to create parking space. But because the city is one of the few with relatively intact City Walls from the Middle Ages, they did build a big underground parking garage and the moat was brought back. In both cases the amount of car parking has increased, and bicycle parking was added, but the old and attractive city looks were restored.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Fascinating! Thanks for these additional examples. I really appreciate it.😀

So happy you people are so enthusiastic about this way of life, please keep promoting for the sake of all humanity and all forms of life around us:))

@ActiveTowns

5 ай бұрын

That’s the plan!

Thnx guys love your channel as a Dutchman that never really appreciated the wealth of my countries (cycling) infrastructure it tought me more about my country that would otherwise be just normal for me. Live in Leiden if you want someone to show you around just say hi

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Cool! Thanks for watching and for the offer. I may just do that. I've been through Leiden a couple of times, but need to spend a little more time there. Cheers! John

Marvellous video... many thanks for creating again!

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

You are quite welcome. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you enjoy some of the other content on the channel. Cheers! John

Great podcast, very interesting to see what is possible to make cities better and cooler. Thank You John and Billy.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for tuning in. It really is so important to be able to see what is possible when community members hold their politicians accountable, and then, in turn, the city leaders have the political will to step up and do what's right. Cheers! John

Amazing as always, youve really come a long way John! Really informative and professional :)

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it. Have a wonderful weekend. Cheers! John

I like that street with the trees. I have two ways to measure how many trees are on a street. If sunlight touches the ground, it's not a solid tree canopy and will not fully stop urban heat island effect. And if grass lawn grows under the trees, it's probably not going to prevent urban heat island effect. That includes across car lanes. It's possible to let tree canopies close above car lanes. But we have no patience for growing mature trees. They say mature trees (over a century old) make people feel grounded. People get a sense of if not eternity then longevity, because we see these old trees. They say that actually reduces crime. It has that much effect on people. And it's the mature trees which fight climate change.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

That's interesting. We have quite a few Live Oaks (over 100-150 years old) in our neighborhood that form a canopy over many of the streets. They are certainly cherished and protected by the city's heritage tree program. Our property only has a young Live Oak in the front, but we have three Heritage Pecan Trees in the backyard.

@dougwedel9484

Жыл бұрын

@@ActiveTowns Here is an issue. When counting urban heat island effect, we need to consider what contributes to UHIE: parking lots roof tops lawn fields in parks, sports fields, etc. hard surface walls like concrete, brick, stone, steel, maybe glass solar panel arrays And what reduces UHIE: trees We can't treat one treed street as the magic talisman that will cool an entire city. In the same way, installing just one protected intersection in a town won't protect cyclists anywhere else. We need saturation. What we have is trees and urban forests set up. Comparing sunlight to a volley of arrows in a medieval battlefield, the arrows get released like carpet bombing or saturation targeting and the trees act as shields from these arrows. All the land needs to be protected from being warmed by sunlight, not just a few places. In cottage country, when seen from a distance, the cottages can't be seen when looking across the lake because there are so many trees on people's land. When I looked at a hillside in my home town, you couldn't see any homes, just tree canopy because the trees were so tall and so abundant that from another hillside, you can't see the houses. But with cottage country and most home towns, when we look from above (the sun's viewpoint) you could clearly see the large expanses of land between the trees that sun struck the ground. We deceive ourselves into thinking we have a few chinks in our armour from the sun when the armour (trees) is the size of the chink, it's reversed. It's like a bullet proof thong (I hope this image is a bit disgusting) vs a full jacket. We can reduce and reverse UHIE but we need to be clear, if sunlight is hitting the ground, hitting asphalt, etc, instead of trees, we won't eliminate UHIE, we are increasing it. UHIE is extreme. One day we might expand the discussion, about the effect of sunlight on agricultural land and call it agricultural heat effect, AHE, and how sunlight on tilled soil will warm up that land also, not as much as asphalt, but much more than forests and trees. Surely black soil will absorb as much heat from sunlight as a lawn in a park and it makes sense it absorbs a lot more. I'm not saying don't till farms. I'm saying be frank and honest when talking about sunlight heating our land locally and across our planet. I just want to point this out so we're clear on what we are doing and not doing and not deceiving ourselves into thinking that sedge on a flat roof will do much if anything. I heard the Russian tanks with the explosive armour (the little plates on the turrets and upper sections of the tanks) are actually just filled with rubber. It's fake and offers no protection. It's the same with how growing a row of young trees on each side of a few streets won't do anything to reduce or eliminate UHIE for these streets let alone for the city. It just won't. Tree cover on 50% of a city has a chance to help. It needs to be substantial. Otherwise it's like putting a few rubber bumpers made for a power boat on the Titanic and expecting it to be protected from icebergs. We are good at deceiving ourselves into thinking taking small actions will solve major problems. My personal objective is to reduce the number of traffic fatalities in my city of Toronto from an average of 50 a year to zero. I know it's both not an easy task (at our slow rate of improvement) and it is very possible to achieve as long as we don't deceive ourselves into thinking a 30 minute pedestrian safety campaign by 2 police officers on one street corner once a year will do anything. I appreciate your diligence interviewing wise people who have practical answers for all this. Keep it up.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

@@dougwedel9484 Thanks, Doug! This is good food for thought. 🙂

@dougwedel9484

Жыл бұрын

@@ActiveTowns I try to watch for small errors in judgement which affect the overall picture and our bottom line, things like how many people die on our streets, how healthy we are, if and how we should act to stop urban heat island effect. Three generalizations are: More people will bike during the pandemic. More will bike when gas prices rise. More will bike as the climate changes. All three of these are reasons (excuses) for not bothering to work hard to promote bicycling. I heard two of them from a teacher who I've tried to work with, to promote bicycling at his k-8 school. It's like pulling teeth getting him to so much as meet with me, let alone plan and take any action and I want to find ways to take actions which are effective, which is a lot harder. These are reasons to drive an electric car, not just ride a bicycle. In fact, Tesla is really driving e car production revolution. After electric cars become mainstream and fossil fuel cars become rare, all these things will no longer be reasons to ride a bicycle. They only count now. So we need to work hard over the next 5 years to make the most of this transition away from fossil fuels, to stop global warming, and... the pandemic has pretty much wrapped up. And we have made small inroads with how many people ride bicycles in North America thus far. So much to do, that just isn't getting done.

Way forward 👍

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Here we go 👉

Thankyou.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome. Thanks for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

So inspiring. Cities have to change and become greener and promote walking, cycling and other kinds of mobility. It’s great to see what other cities could learn from cities like Utrecht or Paris. And I can’t wait to see the 150th episode. “The war on cars” is another great podcast despite the “aggressive” name.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for tuning in! And yes, look forward to having you watch and perhaps participate in The War On Cars Livestream. Regarding their name: They are making fun of the NIMBYs that always show up at community meetings and call the mayor's office to complain whenever bike or pedestrian infrastructure in anyway inconveniences drivers - One of their go-to refrains is to exclaim, "this is clearly A War On Cars" most likely funded by the "evil, all-powerful bicycle lobby." I had the same response when I first heard the name, but once I understood the backstory, I was like, hell yeah, I'll join The War on Cars or, more importantly, on a system that creates car dependency. Cheers! John

This was fun to see

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

It was indeed. Los Angeles could totally take inspiration from these transformations. Thanks for watching. Cheers! John

@nattygirldred

Жыл бұрын

I agree especially from Utrecht. Change is possible.

And what I am completely missing is car infra. Up to the 1970's the N2 highway (E9 Amsterdam-Rome) was situated through the city center of 's-Hertogenbosch - Vught - Boxtel - Eindhoven, causing a lot of traffic jams both on this international highway and within the cities and towns. So a new highway A2 (no traffic lights, split level crossings) east of the existing N2 (traffic lights, level crossings) was build to relieve the cities. The existing N2 lost its function and could be used for local traffic only, which is much less. Later both bigger cities 's-Hertogenbosch and Eindhoven got a ring highway around them to resolve all through traffic. This made it possible to create cycle paths along the big roads through their city center, and to reduce car intensity, because the new ring highway took over. And sure, it looks nice to show trees planted along those roads, and bicycle infra, making the impression that cars were banned, but if you do not mention the newly created 2 x 6 lane A2, it's completely out of balance. Car use isn't reduced, it has moved around the city. Another one is the tunnel for the same A2 underneath Maastricht, if you only show the beautiful long lined park that has been created straight through the city center with nice walking space and bicycle lanes, playgrounds and trees, but do not mention that under all of this there is a double layer 2 x 2 x 3 lane highway and local road, it gives the impression nobody travels from A'dam to Rome any more, or that cars have left the city. The investment in those tunnels was worth it, but it took billions to achieve. This, happy, happy, happy Dutch turn highways into parks thing is far from the real truth.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Yes. These examples remind me of my discussion with Jason with Not Just Bikes about the separation of the various mobility networks. Cheers! John

There are plans to do something similar to Amersfoort, near to Utrecht, where I live. We also have such a scar of the 70-ies and 80-ies right along the center. For a test they wil shut down this corridor for a few weeks at the end of this year.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Oh, wow! That's very interesting. Thanks for mentioning this. It will be fascinating to see how it goes. Cheers! John

Thank you for the high quality expertise on your channel. What Americans don't understand very well is that European cities are not 'designed' from scratch. They 'grew' randomly from geographical constraints and opportunities out of the middle ages. Dutch city design is only from the recent 50 years. Don't try to mimic the Europeans because the US has very different geographical constraints and opportunities. The recent hype about "the 15 minute city" (Paris, Milan) is a very interesting topic on this channel. Don't forget 'redlining' as a major 'cultural' US treat that hampers city design. This is very much social, cultural and political. And you don't get very far without politics and taxes. Good luck.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

You are quite welcome. Oh yeah, most definitely. In North America, we do fortunately have a history of village and city design that pre-dates the automobile, but we either destroyed the "old stuff" or neglected it and spread out into the hinterlands in car-centric designs. And yes, we have an unfortunate legacy of "relining" that we are negotiating through. I see it every day here in Austin. Fortunately, we are making a lot of progress in fixing these wrongs and building out a safe, inviting, and equitable active mobility network inspired on Dutch-design and adapted to our own local realities. Thank you so much for tuning in. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John

Biggest problem I see is where would you go if you have got the bike lanes? I don't see any grocery stores in the suburbs, no kindergarten, hair salon or butchershop? As a Dutchy my motivation to get on a bike is to go somewhere, not for leisure. Doing grocery shopping or picking up my kid from school, all within 5 minutes of biking. Your suburbs are missing small shops and schools. Your shops are at least a 10 minutes car drive away.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Yep. More intelligent land use that allows these meaningful destinations to exist and be accessible by walking and biking is key.

@larryboldt4762

Жыл бұрын

We destroyed all our small mom and pop stores in this country. Greed had destroyed the US

@moladiver6817

Жыл бұрын

@@larryboldt4762 Change the law and allow local supermarkets, bakeries and what not to open up shop in residential areas. Create nice and small commercial hubs in near people's homes. I guarantee that people will start walking and cycling. It would solve a lot of congestion too and far fewer cars would be on the streets at the same time. It would increase social cohesion of neighborhoods a lot too. With more people on the street instead of cars people feel safer and they'd also allow kids to play outside again which as I understand is not really accepted now in North America. That's a shame. I can't fathom having to grow up spending most of my time indoors. I was always out on the street from a very young age playing with my friends. Or cycling to a store or to school together without parental supervision. Freedom as a kid changes who you'll become later as an adult. So go ahead and end those imprisoning zoning laws in the US. Bring the suburbs to live. Basically back to how it was a century ago. Then later on you can destroy many of those big box stores and the huge parking lots around them and give all that space back to nature.

Amsterdam citizen here! They made another green tram lane at nieuwezijdsvoorburgwal and I couldn't be happier, especially after seeing the one near Plantage Middenlaan being widely covered among city nerds. So many more examples :) look at Central Station renovation, both side and it's amazing

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Cool! Will do. Thanks so much for watching and for these tips. Cheers! John

Geveltuin had me dead🤣 it took me so long to piece together what he said

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

🤣 Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the channel. Cheers! John

Have you been to Zaandam? They finished a huge project revamping the city center (downtown) In my youth living there they had a car center where the old canal was (Gedempte gracht = closed/filled canal) then changed the road to a walk only shopping center (shops in the middle where the road was), and now only a few years ago they brought back the canal!

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

I haven't yet. I will put it on my list to visit in November. Thanks so much. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

@nfboogaard

Жыл бұрын

@@ActiveTowns I definitely enjoy the discussions on the channel. I hope you can fit Zaandam into your schedule, if you're coming by train you absolutely can't miss it walking out of the station.

@sanderjansen5187

Жыл бұрын

If you go to the passage (half way te gedempte gracht) there is a nice foto collection how it was used to be in 1900 to 1970

Makes me realise more and more how unique the country is I live in. Love the video. Question for changes America can make:.isnt zoning the biggest obstacle for creating walkable and bike friendly cities? Where are you gonna walk or bike to if you're living in a single family zoned suburb?

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Yes. For sure, land use patterns as dictated through zoning laws are huge issues for many cities, but when you actually look at the trip distances, a significant percentage are within easy biking distance; if only there were safe and inviting facilities. A big challenge is the car-only design mentality. My video on Oulu, Finland, is a good example of how suburban land use, although not ideal, can work with a proper off-street network of trails. kzread.info/dash/bejne/eqCcsM1upNGeZ5s.html Thanks so much for watching and for contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John

0:02 Oh no you're already making John cry!

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

🤣 I know, right out of the gates.

In Utrecht they plan the next level: a carfree, green neighbourhood for 12.000 inhabitants. The name is Merwede.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Yes! I rolled past the site in this video: kzread.info/dash/bejne/mIF8p9Grc8nAerQ.html with @defilmendefietser979 That's very exciting! Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

TU Delft students are also in the forefront of the development of solar powered cars. Checkout Lightyear One, the world's first production solar powered car.....

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Oh, cool! I did not know that, but I am not surprised. Thanks for the tip. 😀🙏

Gentlemen, you have a beautiful vision for our cities and planet! I know you have both given thought to how our public spaces have become increasingly restricted and especially biased against teens and children, international folks and people of color, and the poor and homeless. Come to Omaha and observe all the signs around that tell you to cease and desist everything from skateboarding to smoking to loitering to existing! Your walking, biking, birds-chirping green dream will only come to pass in North America if you let the kids skateboard, the folks get their barbeque or goat roast going, the vapers vape, and the homeless nap. You are going to have to take on social control and over-policing as well as car culture. Oh, and make sure the guns stay in the holsters!

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Yep. Excellent points. The whole point of creating more people-oriented places is to encourage more people, of all ages and abilities, to occupy said public spaces. And yes, over-regulated public spaces are often a sign of failures further upstream. The one truly good thing about welcoming public spaces is that they frequently become self-regulating with the "more eyes on the street" effect. Thanks so much for watching and for your contributions to the conversation. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

So New Orleans filled in canals and replaced them with roads, eh? Makes you wonder what would have happened during Katrina if the water had a place to go.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

I'm really not sure 🤔 Thanks so much for watching and for adding to the conversation. Hope you are enjoying the channel. Cheers! John

Breda was de trendsetter to make from a road a canal but the credits are for Utreg haha

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

Oh, that's cool. I am mostly aware of Utrecht because of my multiple trips there and staying on the newly restored canal several times over the years. Thanks!

@dimrrider9133

10 ай бұрын

@@ActiveTowns Yeah its sad because we where first but Let them play, we know better ;p lol Maybe visit Breda sometime and you will be surprised ;p Cheers Dim.

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

@@dimrrider9133 Breda is now high on my list of places to visit for sure. Thanks so much for the tip. 😀

@dimrrider9133

10 ай бұрын

@@ActiveTowns haha good job the beer is cold allready ;p

@ActiveTowns

10 ай бұрын

@@dimrrider9133 Copy that!

"Fietsstraat" literally meaning Bicycle street. They are all around the country, basic rules are you can drive a car, but not overtake, bikes have priority point blanc. Can this be done in the US ?? I highly doubt it, at least not with the curreny zoning laws. Keep in mind, even in my hometown (I usually do not reveal it, but it is Zwolle, with a bike parking of 5000 bikes, in front of the trainstation, not to mention there is quite a bit on the back of the trainstation, and many more close to it.) more people ride bikes as cars. However the mixed zoning, allows for shorter distances between homes, shops, schools, public transport, amenities etc etc etc. Something that needs to change in the US, to make things possible. If you need to travel 10 miles to get to a mall that s located next to a highway exit, without bike lanes, not even decent sidewalks, etc etc etc, how can one expect a change in the behaviour of people ??? Funny you mention Bicycle Dutch. Just watched a video from 10 years ago, an aspect I have not heard anyone else talk about, is the sideaffects of bike safety. (Sorry it maight not the best wording here.) But he pointed out, that children can play/run more safely, if a bike path is between the sidewalk and a street, while at the same time people with lesser mobility basically have a better option of participating in traffic. (From wheelchair to mobility scooters etc.) Love to see you, and others work on pointing things like that out as well.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Yes. All wonderful points. Bicycle-priority streets are possible here in North America in very limited contexts, such as my neighborhood which is easy walking and biking distance to the central business district downtown and happens to have little to no sidewalks and low motor vehicle traffic volumes, but many people rolling and strolling. Glad you mentioned people with limited or lesser mobility, as this is something that I repeat often; a truly safe and inviting cycle network really is for All Ages & Abilities. Thanks so much for watching and contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John

Darn Spanish! They take our football system (totaal voetbal) and they make it their own (tikki takka) and now they've got their hands on our infrastructure system. Will be very interesting how they make it their own system. And they've been doing this for centuries!

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

🤣

Why is it that you can’t have stores/restaurants etc in urban areas. It seems a very strange law to me. Can they not change that so the living area becomes more alive .greetings🇳🇱

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Maya, This is a very good question, and yes, it is very strange and destructive. In some areas, these zoning laws are being changed to allow these uses once again, but change is hard, and many people fight to keep the status quo in place. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the channel. Cheers! John

@Maya9396

Жыл бұрын

@@ActiveTowns. But what is the reason people don’t want that? Why is there such a thing like zoning law and especially the one that prohibits shops etc.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

@@Maya9396 The most common complaints are that it will destroy the character of the neighborhood, increase crime, and make traffic worse. It's not about logic but emotions. It's primarily driven by fear.

@Maya9396

Жыл бұрын

@@ActiveTowns Thank you.

It is so crazy and depressing that this is so mystical to Americans.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

It really is. But in reality, we're not alone. So many countries around the globe have been brainwashed into a state of car dependency. I certainly have my work cut out for me. Hehe 🤣 I hope you are enjoying the channel. Cheers! John

You forgot to add the bikers screaming at you if you step on the bike path

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

🤣 ah yes, especially in the tourist-heavy areas; they are a bit touchy in these areas as there have been many mass bike pile-ups from clueless sightseers wandering blindly into the flow of traffic. I have some great video clips of Dutch pedestrians navigating across the busy cycle paths; they have a sixth sense when it comes to timing an opening. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

👏👏👏😎😎😎

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

😁

Looking forward to the day when the government removes the gas-powered scooter (bromfiets) from the ecosystem. Watching your channel and others, I now appreciate the reasoning behind the aggressive planning of the Dutch road systems. We have the best roads, they are very well thought out. However, we still need better marketing of the project goals here in NL, as the objectives of each tactic are not always clear at first blush. When we know - we can buy into the program.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Great points! Having good communication is essential for understanding, even when it is for relatively uncontroversial infrastructure transformations. Thank you so much for watching and for this thoughtful contribution to the discussion. I really appreciate it, and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[sarcasm] 30:48 Yeah, it all looks good on video and on paper, but just wait till you get woken up every morning by those birds at six o'clock in the morning, like happened to me the past couple of days. [/sarcasm] 😴🐦🥱

@yellfire

Жыл бұрын

Esp. seagulls.The cacophonous squawking of gulls piercing through the wee hours of the morning. You gotta love it.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Hehe🤣 I know! How dare those dang birds disturb us? Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

@Basic190

Жыл бұрын

I have swans on the river in front of my house. When they fly away it makes the loudest noise. I love it! It’s in the city center!

Americans really need to stop apologizing for trying to speak other languages. It's always appreciated if you try even if you don't get it right.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for saying this. Please know that it comes partly from a place of sincere respect that so many people from other nations are multilingual and have an impressive handle on the English language in addition to their own. Thank you very much for watching, and I do hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

@cajum24

Жыл бұрын

@Active Towns Oh I totally understand you were just trying to be respectful, just wanted to say you aren't doing anything disrespectful at all so no need for apologies. Have been enjoying your videos. As someone from NL who moved to the US, I just hope more people will learn about these things. Thanks for what you're doing

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

@@cajum24 You are quite welcome. I hope you live in a relatively bike-friendly community. We have much work to do here, which is why I launched the Active Towns Initiative. Cheers! 😀

Now tell me, why can the american cities not transform into a city with attractive streets and suburbs, with lots of trees, parks, Bicycle lanes, sidewalks and decent public transport? Are the people in the US and Canada so embarressed, by using public transports.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

They can. And many are either in the process of realizing they must or have started their journey. Ultimately they are at a similar inflection point to one The Netherlands was at during the 1970s - so essentially, they are 50 years behind. And truth be told since many of these cities have become so car-dependent, it will take even longer than it should. I do have quite a few videos on the Channel about the transformations that are starting to happen. Here's my playlist of Austin's Dutch-inspired cycle network: kzread.info/head/PLG12KGQK_4xiMRS9tI-V5C-Li1NHVnO3l Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John

@Fabiansegara1969

3 ай бұрын

There is only one answer to that. americans love their cars and driving them. even if they have to do some daily groceries, 5 miles from home.

Oops, John, you know how bringing back the canal and to burry the station did cost 2 Billion? Let's say people weren't pleased...

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Not surprised! Mistakes are costly, but ultimately the ROI will be impressive I am certain.

@nispen

Жыл бұрын

I was pleased

But t we have a weak government who can't even run a tram company.🤣😂

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

That's not good.🤣

If it ain't Dutch, it ain't much ! 😂

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

We're definitely gaining inspiration. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

These aggressive males on motorscooters you're talking about are 99% Moroccan immigrants often on stolen scooters. They are extremely short-fused and macho. Their aggression is the main reason that scooters are now banned on cycle tracks. They'd kick and hit cyclists with their elbows and feet if they weren't fast enough making way for them. They'd often spit them in the face. Legally their scooters are not allowed to go faster than 25km/h, but 95% of them are illegally modified and they'd go 80km/h or faster. The speed difference with an average cyclist is lethal especially head-on. They will never cycle themselves 'cause they think cycling is for poor people. The only time you'd see them on a bike is when they're stealing yet another expensive e-bike.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

Yes. That's pretty much been my experience. I've been on the receiving end of their aggressiveness (mostly in 2015, not so much in 2019).

Note that all big cities in any european country do not represent most of any country. They are a capital for other reasons than being the ultimate city. Its usually money driven why they become capital cities. Real culture and usually better infrastructure can be found very differently in smaller cities. As for a example in the Netherlands people keep mentioning the top 3 useless cities of the nation: Amsterdam, rotterdam and Utrecht. all of which are capital cities of their respective provinces. While the better infra and latest development is better found at the newest build province, Flevoland, and then especially Almere is much more advanced. So I suggest to look beyond big cities, big cities in example the netherlands follow the same principle for space efficiency as the rest of the country has to use. So naturally it would be smart to look at a new province or city, not a old one that is doing its best to barely survive the pressure. their previous mistakes give them very little space for new ideas due to lack of space to begin with. New province Flevoland has lots more space to also experiment to, which is why they develop so fast in Almere. I suppose you should check that out over failure cities with even bigger problems which keeps them from doing experiments which Almere has all space for still.

@ActiveTowns

Жыл бұрын

All good points and much appreciated. For the past nearly three weeks, I've been staying in Delft and have plans to continue visiting the smaller cities, towns, and villages. Almere is actually on my radar for Monday. Tragically I must return to Austin on Tuesday. Thanks so much for watching and for your helpful contributions to the conversation. I hope you are enjoying the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John