2 HN users recommended this explainer2 months2022–2024score 2
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026
HN commenters cite it as a concise illustration of how the Netherlands narrowly avoided car-centric planning and then built its bike culture.
A short Not Just Bikes video on the 1960s plans (Plan Jokinen) to cut highways through Amsterdam to accommodate cars. It shows how radically different the city would look had they succeeded.
“about those plans, the fightback in the 1970s, and the resulting bike culture that Amsterdam has today.” (HN, 2022)
I do all those things in Amsterdam. I can get everywhere in Amsterdam much quicker by bike than driving or public transport. Cycling in the rain and snow [2] is no problem, you just need the right gear. What non-Amsterdammers don't realise is the city never used to be a cyclist's paradise. In the 1960s, Amsterdam's car-obsessed urban planners had grand visions to drive motorways through the inner city, razing the historical buildings, and constructing Manhattan-like skyscraper clusters. Here's a 3 minute video "Highways Almost Destroyed Amsterdam" [1] about those plans, the fightback in the 1970s, and the resulting bike culture that Amsterdam has today. Enjoy! [1] [this video] [2] [link]
Short video on Amsterdam's highway plans and the fight that created bike culture.
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