Post #3939487

2026-07-19 17:39 UTC

@uxMark@cosocial.ca thank you! When I started my channel I was sick of "urbanist" content being so passive and mealymouthed. Everything was always hedged with a "we don't want to take away anybody's cars but ..." and every argument was buried in so much "data" that nobody who wasn't already a diehard urbanist would sit through it. It pisses some people off but I literally do not care. It's ridiculous how much better Amsterdam has become in the past 7 years compared to cities that try to pacify drivers.

Replies (6)

@dat@social.g33ky.de 2026-07-19 18:13

@notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com @uxMark@cosocial.ca tbf there's even some kind of progress in motorist cities it's way slower, and it's only due to hard battles of a couple of dedicated people (like @PVPkoopDD@dresden.network in dresden) but there is progress I really wish it would be faster, but it sometimes helps to realize the past was… even worse.

Open ##3939486
@mcv@friendica.opensocial.space 2026-07-19 18:50

@notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com @uxMark@cosocial.ca I live in Amsterdam, with a car, and my wife even uses it quite regularly, but I have absolutely no complaints about Amsterdam's autoluw policies. The city keeps getting better. Cars are fine if you need to get out of the city, to a place that has no easy train station. But into the city center? Or any part of the city that's less than 5km away? That's not what cars are for. They're a plague on the city.

Open ##3940652
@datenwolf@chaos.social 2026-07-19 19:35

@notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com @uxMark@cosocial.ca I wish we here in Germany could adopt this mentality. But as it is, even the most well meaning attempts at "improving" bicycle infra are haphazard, any may even be worse, than was before. Take my home city of Lübeck for example. They're finally (with a 5 year delay) building the new cycle-expressway. Unfortunately they completely misunderstood the "continuous sidewalk" portion of the assignment. "car-brain pacifying" adjustments were made, which IMHO endanger cyclists.

Open ##3941069
@FlashMobOfOne@mstdn.social 2026-07-19 17:47

@notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com @uxMark@cosocial.ca Yeah, kinda hate being someone who scoots around town and, seemingly, it's 100% my responsibility to watch out for cars and not the other way around.

Open ##4017980
@theorangetheme@en.osm.town 2026-07-19 18:05

@notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com @uxMark@cosocial.ca I don't understand how people can read articles like this https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/19/boxer-hannah-rapp-dies-struck-by-car and not become rabidly anti-car.

Open ##4017982
@eigengott@mstdn.social 2026-07-19 18:53

@notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com @uxMark@cosocial.ca A few month ago GCN had an interesting episode on resistance to making our cities better. Main points: 1. Car-centric planners were bold in their vision and demolished whole neighbourhoods for their goal 2. Resistance really comes from loud minorities and (dumb) politicians, majority wants better cities 3. Listen to genuine concerns 4. Ignore the "hill of hysteria" 5. Be as bold in your plans and vision as the car-centric planners have been! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4pO1vS0gkc

Open ##4018024