Even Small Towns are Great Here (5 Years in the Netherlands)

Not Just Bikes
27 Aug 202318:20
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRAfter moving to the Netherlands from Canada, the author discovers through travels to Dutch towns and cities that all urban areas in the Netherlands provide a high quality of life, regardless of size. Cycling is safe everywhere thanks to well-designed streets and infrastructure. Even industrial parks and suburbs near busy highways have beautiful cycling paths. After years living in bad urban conditions in North America, the author is shocked by the consistent livability in the Netherlands. This has changed their perspective on what makes a good city, and they now see even flawed areas of Dutch cities as vastly superior to most places they experienced in Canada and the U.S.

Takeaways
  • 😲 The Netherlands has great infrastructure for walking and biking everywhere, even in small towns and suburbs
  • 🚲 Separating cars from pedestrian and bike traffic makes places safer and more livable
  • 🚉 Excellent public transit makes even small towns with just a few thousand people easily accessible
  • 👪 Suburbs and small towns in the Netherlands have safe streets where kids can play freely
  • 🛣️ 'Traffic calming' measures like narrowed roads and speed bumps make residential areas peaceful
  • 😀 Pedestrian streets in town and city centers create vibrant, lively public spaces
  • 🚚 Industrial parks and business areas in the Netherlands manage to be nice places with good infrastructure
  • 🏘 Even modern suburbs in the Netherlands avoid stroads and parking lots to put people first
  • 🌆 After living in the Netherlands, North American infrastructure seems unpleasant and unsafe
  • 🎉 The author plans to stay in the Netherlands forever thanks to its excellent quality of life
Q & A

  • How long has the narrator lived in the Netherlands?

    -The narrator has lived in the Netherlands for five years.

  • What city does the narrator live in?

    -The narrator lives in Amsterdam.

  • What surprised the narrator about small towns in the Netherlands?

    -The narrator was surprised that small towns in the Netherlands were very lively, had pedestrianized city centers, were easily accessible by public transit, and were overall very nice places to be, unlike small towns in Canada.

  • What changed the narrator's perspective on what constitutes a 'bad' place?

    -After living in the Netherlands for a few years, the narrator's idea of what makes a place bad shifted dramatically. Places that would be considered good in Canada are seen as bad in the Netherlands.

  • How does the narrator showcase life in the Netherlands?

    -The narrator showcases life in the Netherlands through video clips on YouTube and live streams of bicycle rides to show an unfiltered view of daily life.

  • What surprised the narrator about business parks in the Netherlands?

    -The narrator was surprised that business parks in the Netherlands were transit-accessible, safe for walking and cycling, and even nice looking, unlike business parks in North America.

  • What does the narrator appreciate about suburban neighborhoods in the Netherlands?

    -The narrator appreciates that suburban neighborhoods in the Netherlands have quiet, narrow streets that are still perfectly safe for walking and cycling.

  • What changed about the narrator after living in the Netherlands?

    -After living in the Netherlands for five years, the narrator says they can never go back to their previous life and has no intention of leaving the Netherlands.

  • How does the narrator fund their YouTube channel?

    -The narrator funds their YouTube channel through supporter donations on platforms like Patreon and Nebula.

  • What is the narrator's intention with their YouTube videos?

    -The narrator intends to showcase that even random, ordinary places in the Netherlands are well-designed and comfortable for people, unlike most places in North America.

Outlines
00:00
Experiencing the Amazing Cycling Infrastructure Across the Netherlands

The paragraph introduces how the author has traveled to many different cities and towns in the Netherlands over the past 5 years. It talks about how even though Amsterdam gets featured a lot, there are clips shown from other places as well that showcase great infrastructure and lively cities that make cycling very convenient. There is a realization that things are great almost everywhere when it comes to walkability and cycling.

05:03
Tiny Towns in the Netherlands Have More Traffic Calming Than Huge Cities Elsewhere

The paragraph highlights how small towns in the Netherlands like Harlingen and Lent have extensive traffic calming compared to even big cities in Canada. There is much less need for dedicated bike lanes when car access is restricted. It allows safe cycling through suburban areas without any cycling infrastructure.

10:04
Discovering Lovely and Very Bikeable Small Towns All Over the Netherlands

The paragraph discusses visits to numerous small towns like Veenendaal, Harlingen, Assen, Warden, Sneek etc. and how remarkably nice they are for walking and cycling. There are pedestrianized shopping centers, nice neighborhoods, restricted car access and excellent train connectivity that makes them very livable without needing a car.

15:05
Good Urbanism is Ubiquitous in the Netherlands, Not Just in Big Cities

The paragraph concludes after visiting many random small towns, suburbs and industrial areas that the author's idea of 'bad' has changed. Unlike Canada, there are no bad areas concerning walkability or cycling infrastructure across Netherlands. Even business parks are transit accessible and safe for active mobility.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Netherlands
The country where the video creator has lived for the past 5 years. It serves as the setting for most of the locations and examples discussed in the video. The creator contrasts his experiences of Dutch cities, towns, and infrastructure with those in Canada.
💡cities and towns
The video discusses and shows footage from many different urban areas across the Netherlands, ranging from major cities like Amsterdam to small towns and villages. It examines differences in infrastructure, design, accessibility, and safety between Dutch and North American cities/towns.
💡infrastructure
Refers specifically to transportation infrastructure that promotes safety and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians, such as protected bike lanes, pedestrian islands, narrowed streets, etc. The video praises the ubiquity of this high-quality infrastructure across Dutch cities and towns.
💡Traffic calming
Design elements and policies meant to reduce vehicle speeds and volumes in order to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. Examples given include restricting car access on certain streets and raised crosswalks/intersections.
💡Stroads
Wide, high-speed streets that double as urban arterial roads and commercial strips. The video criticizes these as dangerous and unpleasant for cyclists/pedestrians, and praises Dutch cities' separation of roads and streets.
💡Suburbs
The video shows Dutch suburbs with connected cycling routes, safe residential streets, and amenities within walking/biking distance. This contrasts negatively with sprawling, car-centric North American suburbs.
💡Public transit
Specifically trains, buses, and shared bikes that facilitate car-free travel. The video expresses surprise at the extent of transit options even in small Dutch towns, vs. poor options in similar-sized North American towns.
💡Cycling
Biking is a common thread across the video, which examines the cycling accessibility, safety, and popularity across different Dutch regions. People of all ages comfortably cycling is contrasted with the car-dependence seen in North America.
💡Pedestrianization
The closing off of certain streets or zones only to pedestrians and cyclists, not cars. This is shown to have transformed many Dutch city/town centers into pleasant, walkable areas that would be unthinkable in North America.
💡Car-centric design
The video negatively contrasts the Netherlands' cycling/pedestrian focus against North American cities and infrastructure that centers and accommodates cars at the expense of other transportation modes.
Highlights

The infrastructure in small Dutch towns blew me away compared to similar sized towns in Canada

In the Netherlands, even suburbs and small towns are perfectly safe for cycling without dedicated infrastructure

Restricting cars is more important than building cycling infrastructure to make a place bike friendly

A small Dutch town had more traffic calming than entire cities in Canada

A tiny village in the Netherlands had a bus every 12 minutes with bike parking at the stop

Even Dutch business parks are nice, transit accessible places you can walk and bike

After living in the Netherlands, nowhere in Canada feels safe without a car anymore

Dutch suburbs are quiet yet still walkable and connected by paths

Small Dutch towns have nice pedestrian streets, unlike Canada

After living in the Netherlands, my standards changed - even unpleasant areas seem nice

I can never move back to Canada after experiencing the Netherlands

I finally found my home after traveling the world

I assumed business parks had to be ugly, yet the Netherlands proved me wrong

I hated small Canadian towns yet Dutch ones are lovely

There are no bad parts of the Netherlands, it's good almost everywhere

Transcripts

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