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European towns were generally laid out in the days of horses and pedestrians before asphalt, cars, and sprawl. So it is easier for them to revert to bikeways an

European towns were generally laid out in the days of horses and pedestrians before asphalt, cars, and sprawl. So it is easier for them to revert to bikeways and walkways. US cities were generally laid out when the US was the biggest oil producer and biggest car manufacturer. Now that we are in later days of the age of oil, people will continually curse the decisions of the past as we try with great difficulty to reconfigure.

Maarten88 4y ago
The US had many beautiful city centers that were walkable and had public transport. It was bulldozed to make room for the car. They went so far as to invent the concept of jaywalking to get rid of those pesky pedestrians on the road, so that cars could have all the space.
noahtallen 4y ago
Important caveats to your point: 1. Most US cities predate the automobile, and nearly every city freeway involved bulldozing existing homes and neighborhoods. 2. Places like the Netherlands also went car-heavy as they rebuilt after the world wars. Instead, more recent policies have made redevelopment to bicycle and people friendly streets possible. 3. A nice boulevard with space for trams, bicyclists, pedestrians, and cars is not narrow. My overall point is that specific development policies cause the biggest differences between North America and, say, Europe. Not the specific geography and existing layout of the cities. (Though it certainly makes a difference, there are plenty of old European cities that aren’t nearly as people-friendly as Amsterdam because of their car-friendly policies)
Scarblac 4y ago
Article is about a new suburb that was planned in 2006, so nothing to do with those old days. The Netherlands was really car centric in the 50s and 60s, activism in the 70s turned it around and since then it's gradually becoming more bicycle centric. Some old highways from the 50s have since been demolished. Change is possible, it takes planning and political willpower.

Maarten88 4y ago

The US had many beautiful city centers that were walkable and had public transport. It was bulldozed to make room for the car. They went so far as to invent the concept of jaywalking to get rid of those pesky pedestrians on the road, so that cars could have all the space.

noahtallen 4y ago

Important caveats to your point: 1. Most US cities predate the automobile, and nearly every city freeway involved bulldozing existing homes and neighborhoods. 2. Places like the Netherlands also went car-heavy as they rebuilt after the world wars. Instead, more recent policies have made redevelopment to bicycle and people friendly streets possible. 3. A nice boulevard with space for trams, bicyclists, pedestrians, and cars is not narrow. My overall point is that specific development policies cause the biggest differences between North America and, say, Europe. Not the specific geography and existing layout of the cities. (Though it certainly makes a difference, there are plenty of old European cities that aren’t nearly as people-friendly as Amsterdam because of their car-friendly policies)

Scarblac 4y ago

Article is about a new suburb that was planned in 2006, so nothing to do with those old days. The Netherlands was really car centric in the 50s and 60s, activism in the 70s turned it around and since then it's gradually becoming more bicycle centric. Some old highways from the 50s have since been demolished. Change is possible, it takes planning and political willpower.