3 ms·

I'm a recent immigrant to NL but one kind of surprising thing is how low density a lot of the cities are. Look around Hilversum, Houten, etc. (random examples I

I'm a recent immigrant to NL but one kind of surprising thing is how low density a lot of the cities are. Look around Hilversum, Houten, etc. (random examples I'm familiar with) and it's mostly rowhouses. It seems like there should be an opportunity to replace a lot of these with something like the 4-5 story buildings you see in Paris, for instance. Also, quite a few cars (and big SUV's, and even quite a few full-size American pickup trucks, bafflingly). Biking to school with my kids is frustrating and sometimes feels dangerous. Though maybe that's just Hilversum. They seem really eager to rely on supposed woonerfs instead of actually providing separated infrastructure. I feel like "I generally favour immigration but understand that having a substantial influx of a population that does not integrate well, regardless of their background" is a hard stance to take. I don't really align with any party so far as I can tell (not that it matters, I can't vote). I'm originally American and if there were large groups of people moving here from Texas, not learning Dutch, and bringing Texan values I'd be pretty worried.

misja111 3y ago
In Hilversum you will see a lot more big SUV's than in a typical Dutch city, the area ('Gooi') is considered quite posh in the Netherlands. Yes there definitely are possibilities to make more out the existing urban area's. But wherever someone has an idea for building more houses, there always are others that are against it. In your case, building 4-5 story buildings would be seen by some as disturbing the skyline of the city. They'd rather keep their current small city atmosphere.
- CalRobert 3y ago
  Funny enough the rowhouses on my street are all 3 stories...
pelasaco 3y ago
> I'm originally American and if there were large groups of people moving here from Texas, not learning Dutch, and bringing Texan values I'd be pretty worried. Sure just replace the rowhouses with skyscrapers and burn the cars.. looking the results of the last elections sounds like your Californian and not Texan values are what worries the Dutch people.. unbelievable
- CalRobert 3y ago
  You may be relieved to find that California is extremely restrictive with respect to building skyscrapers and considered by many to be incredibly accommodating of private automobiles. Anyway, this is a gross mischaracterization of my comment. Wanting my child to be able to bike to school safely doesn't mean burning cars. And I explicitly noted Paris since it's an example of a dense city with surprisingly low building heights.
  - pelasaco 3y ago
    > It seems like there should be an opportunity to replace a lot of these with something like the 4-5 story buildings you see in Paris, for instance You know what "replace a lot of" means right? Concretely, you are saying that people should leave their homes to make more place for new people..I can imagine why people won't like it. > I'm originally American and if there were large groups of people moving here from Texas, not learning Dutch, and bringing Texan values I'd be pretty worried. I think you did a mischaracterization of the Texan values in the first place.. no?
    - CalRobert 3y ago
      Every city has replaced old housing with new over time. Should there still be straw huts on the Seine? Texas values libertarianism, individualism, the right to bear arms, etc which might be fine but seems out of place here.
      - ghaff 3y ago
        >Every city has replaced old housing with new over time. They have. But arguably it's hard to move the needle a huge amount by piecemeal replacing 2 story buildings as they come onto the market with 4 story ones.
      - pelasaco 3y ago
        > Every city has replaced old housing with new over time. Should there still be straw huts on the Seine? Where? I remember staying in a 19 century house in Utrecht, which still there... I lived in Germany until some years ago in a 1910 building, which I don't think they will rebuild it that early. I think you came to Europe with a different expectation maybe?
theodric 3y ago
> Hilversum Wealthy. That probably explains some of it.
- CalRobert 3y ago
  Ironically we're only here because we couldn't find a place in Utrecht.
  - theodric 3y ago
    I wonder if the people of Hilverrrsum/'t Gooi do or will soon have qualms about the riff-raff/nonhereditarily landed folks moving to their neighborhoods after being priced out of the major Randstad cities
    - CalRobert 3y ago
      Well, if it helps, my landlords moved to the US so it's a fair trade I suppose. Also, it's Hilversum, not Naarden. I should be OK.

misja111 3y ago

In Hilversum you will see a lot more big SUV's than in a typical Dutch city, the area ('Gooi') is considered quite posh in the Netherlands. Yes there definitely are possibilities to make more out the existing urban area's. But wherever someone has an idea for building more houses, there always are others that are against it. In your case, building 4-5 story buildings would be seen by some as disturbing the skyline of the city. They'd rather keep their current small city atmosphere.

CalRobert 3y ago
Funny enough the rowhouses on my street are all 3 stories...

pelasaco 3y ago

> I'm originally American and if there were large groups of people moving here from Texas, not learning Dutch, and bringing Texan values I'd be pretty worried. Sure just replace the rowhouses with skyscrapers and burn the cars.. looking the results of the last elections sounds like your Californian and not Texan values are what worries the Dutch people.. unbelievable

CalRobert 3y ago
You may be relieved to find that California is extremely restrictive with respect to building skyscrapers and considered by many to be incredibly accommodating of private automobiles. Anyway, this is a gross mischaracterization of my comment. Wanting my child to be able to bike to school safely doesn't mean burning cars. And I explicitly noted Paris since it's an example of a dense city with surprisingly low building heights.
- pelasaco 3y ago
  > It seems like there should be an opportunity to replace a lot of these with something like the 4-5 story buildings you see in Paris, for instance You know what "replace a lot of" means right? Concretely, you are saying that people should leave their homes to make more place for new people..I can imagine why people won't like it. > I'm originally American and if there were large groups of people moving here from Texas, not learning Dutch, and bringing Texan values I'd be pretty worried. I think you did a mischaracterization of the Texan values in the first place.. no?
  - CalRobert 3y ago
    Every city has replaced old housing with new over time. Should there still be straw huts on the Seine? Texas values libertarianism, individualism, the right to bear arms, etc which might be fine but seems out of place here.
    - ghaff 3y ago
      >Every city has replaced old housing with new over time. They have. But arguably it's hard to move the needle a huge amount by piecemeal replacing 2 story buildings as they come onto the market with 4 story ones.
    - pelasaco 3y ago
      > Every city has replaced old housing with new over time. Should there still be straw huts on the Seine? Where? I remember staying in a 19 century house in Utrecht, which still there... I lived in Germany until some years ago in a 1910 building, which I don't think they will rebuild it that early. I think you came to Europe with a different expectation maybe?

theodric 3y ago

> Hilversum Wealthy. That probably explains some of it.

CalRobert 3y ago
Ironically we're only here because we couldn't find a place in Utrecht.
- theodric 3y ago
  I wonder if the people of Hilverrrsum/'t Gooi do or will soon have qualms about the riff-raff/nonhereditarily landed folks moving to their neighborhoods after being priced out of the major Randstad cities
  - CalRobert 3y ago
    Well, if it helps, my landlords moved to the US so it's a fair trade I suppose. Also, it's Hilversum, not Naarden. I should be OK.