The Best-Designed Town in the Netherlands (and therefore, the world)

Not Just Bikes June 30, 2025
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Not Just Bikes

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Stories of great urban planning & urban experiences. There are a lot of reasons why Dutch cities are so great, and it's not just bikes. Want to support the channel? Sign up to Nebula! https://go.nebula.tv/notjustbikes Contact Not Just Bikes: https://contact.notjustbikes.com Podcast (YouTube): https://youtube.com/@theurbanistagenda Livestreams (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@njblive Mastodon/Fediverse: @[email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/notjustbikes The overwhelming majority of footage on this channel is filmed by NJB on location. Some stock footage from Getty Images and other licensed sources may also be used. This channel does not use AI video or AI voices.

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Help publish the book about Houten! https://www.gofundme.com/f/cycling-city-Houten-says-hello-world Support this channel on Patreon: Patreon: https://patreon.com/notjustbikes Or sign up to Nebula for only $36/year with this link: https://go.nebula.tv/notjustbikes Nebula gift cards (now with iDEAL): https://gift.nebula.tv/notjustbikes Watch this video ad-free and sponsor-free on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/notjustbikes-the-bestdesigned-town-in-the-netherlands-and-therefore-the-world Patreon: https://patreon.com/notjustbikes Mastodon: @[email protected] NJB Live (my live-streaming channel): https://youtube.com/@njblive --- Relevant videos Car-free Streets are Amazing (and we need more of them) - Autoluw https://nebula.tv/videos/not-just-bikes-car-free-streets-are-amazing-and-we-need-more-of-them https://youtu.be/GlXNVnftaNs How American Fire Departments are Getting People Killed https://youtu.be/j2dHFC31VtQ https://nebula.tv/videos/notjustbikes-how-american-fire-departments-are-getting-people-killed Business Parks Suck (but they don’t have to) https://youtu.be/SDXB0CY2tSQ https://nebula.tv/videos/notjustbikes-business-parks-suck-but-they-dont-have-to --- References & Further Reading Waarom 'de hele wereld' komt fietsen in Houten https://www.rtvutrecht.nl/nieuws/3875045/waarom-de-hele-wereld-komt-fietsen-in-houten https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkyeMHaOta8 Nearly Car-Free Areas (A View from the Cycle Path) https://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/2013/02/nearly-car-free-areas.html Robert (82) ‘bedacht’ het dorp Houten: ‘Trots is niet het goede woord. Ik ben vooral blij’ https://www.ad.nl/utrecht/robert-82-bedacht-het-dorp-houten-trots-is-niet-het-goede-woord-ik-ben-vooral-blij~ac3b3b6f/ Houten is relatief verkeersveilig, maar elk ongeval is er één te veel https://www.houtensnieuws.nl/lokaal/verkeer-en-vervoer/954333/houten-is-relatief-verkeersveilig-maar-elk-ongeval-is-er-een-#closemodal Historical photos of Houten from Het Utrechts Archive Public domain or CC/BY: https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/840CA54571E38187E0534701000AAB1C https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/C03381F519EA566B974FBBD91028DA7F https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/79666BC6E00A5D4E980430B7E869D3A8 https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/119B82E056E55553A984C48CB009B65E https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/4F97C35AC1A85804B7ED8166A8C7B762 https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/40858864BBFD51BEA3DB81B3A0FB2FA5 https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/52915A26122A5A4F961CE7B20DA451E2 https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/8EC693301C655AD09E952483BC9A6E1A https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/ECA62A8B3D0852B6A27EB542EA13B121 https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/E3982DB6DA51565BBFD4D50DB8B41273 https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/37092E42A9815783A98D94CC022CEA8B https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/2EA67B58B88D579C84E101C5B2DCF6A4 https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/D9DFFBE4936FA018E0538F04000AB4D4 https://hetutrechtsarchief.nl/beeld/03742848034755EEA1245BDFC7DE4665 Houten Tram Door Mauritsvink - Eigen werk, Publiek domein, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5493396 Door T Houdijk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1810526 Door Steinbach (overleg · bijdragen) - zelf gefotografeerd, Publiek domein, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=820183 Door T Houdijk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1810530 The vast majority of the content in this video was filmed on location by Not Just Bikes, with some images licensed from Getty Images and other sources. No generative AI or AI voices were used in the making of this video --- Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:41 Houten history & context 2:57 Autoluw 4:30 Getting there from Amsterdam 5:13 The train station 5:52 Houten centrum 6:56 Linear parks 7:29 Houses bordering the bicycle paths 8:34 Different housing types 9:38 Quiet suburban residential streets 10:58 Modal filters 11:50 Fast and efficient cycling 13:15 Independence for children 13:55 Commercial spaces 15:21 Interesting architecture 16:09 The old villiage 16:27 The book about Houten 17:01 Is Houten ... perfect? 18:04 Public transit 19:09 Nitpicking 19:33 Those @#$*ing mopeds 20:34 Returning to Amsterdam 21:00 We need actively restrict cars 22:33 What we should learn from Houten 23:39 The future of Houten 24:17 How to support Not Just Bikes