Amsterdam may be seen as a cyclist’s utopia today, but it wasn’t always so. Around the midway point of the century, the Dutch were building their infrastructure mainly for the automobile, just as North Americans cities were (and in many cases still are). But by the mid-‘70s a pushback came, laying the foundation for much of what people associate with the cycle-friendly city today.
Bicycle Anecdotes from Amsterdam is a short film that explores the city’s history and shows how Amsterdam came to be a leader in cycling infrastructure, despite facing many of the same challenges as other urban centres worldwide. It also provides a good look at some impressive bikeways, as cyclists ride elbow-to-elbow with surprising ease. You can view the video below.
Via Streetfilms
Urban Planet is a roundup of blogs from around the world dealing specifically with urban environments. We’ll be on the lookout for websites outside the country that approach themes related to urban experiences and issues.
For more stories from around the planet, check out Spacing on Facebook and Twitter. Do you have an Urban Planet worthy article you’d like to share? Send the link to urbanplanet@spacing.ca