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Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives
In 2019, mobility experts Melissa and Chris Bruntlett began a new adventure in Delft in the Netherlands. They had packed up their family in Vancouver, BC, and moved to Delft to experience the biking city as residents rather than as visitors. A year earlier they had become unofficial ambassadors for Dutch cities with the publication of their first book Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality .
In Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives, Melissa and Chris Bruntlett chronicle their experience living in the Netherlands and the benefits that result from treating cars as visitors rather than owners of the road. They weave their personal story with research and interviews with experts and Delft locals to help readers share the experience of living in a city designed for people.
In the planning field, little attention is given to the effects that a “low-car” city can have on the human experience at a psychological and sociological level. Studies are beginning to surface that indicate the impact that external factors—such as sound—can have on our stress and anxiety levels. Or how the systematic dismantling of freedom and autonomy for children and the elderly to travel through their cities is causing isolation and dependency.
In Curbing Traffic, the Bruntletts explain why these investments in improving the built environment are about more than just getting from place to place more easily and comfortably. The insights will help decision makers and advocates to better understand and communicate the human impacts of low-car cities: lower anxiety and stress, increased independence, social autonomy, inclusion, and improved mental and physical wellbeing.
The book is organized around the benefits that result from thoughtfully curbing traffic, resulting in a city that is: child-friendly, connected, trusting, feminist, quiet, therapeutic, accessible, prosperous, resilient, and age-friendly.
Planners, public officials, and citizen activists should have a greater understanding of the consequences that building for cars has had on communities (of all sizes). Curbing Traffic provides relatable, emotional, and personal reasons why it matters and inspiration for exporting the low-car city.
In Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives, Melissa and Chris Bruntlett chronicle their experience living in the Netherlands and the benefits that result from treating cars as visitors rather than owners of the road. They weave their personal story with research and interviews with experts and Delft locals to help readers share the experience of living in a city designed for people.
In the planning field, little attention is given to the effects that a “low-car” city can have on the human experience at a psychological and sociological level. Studies are beginning to surface that indicate the impact that external factors—such as sound—can have on our stress and anxiety levels. Or how the systematic dismantling of freedom and autonomy for children and the elderly to travel through their cities is causing isolation and dependency.
In Curbing Traffic, the Bruntletts explain why these investments in improving the built environment are about more than just getting from place to place more easily and comfortably. The insights will help decision makers and advocates to better understand and communicate the human impacts of low-car cities: lower anxiety and stress, increased independence, social autonomy, inclusion, and improved mental and physical wellbeing.
The book is organized around the benefits that result from thoughtfully curbing traffic, resulting in a city that is: child-friendly, connected, trusting, feminist, quiet, therapeutic, accessible, prosperous, resilient, and age-friendly.
Planners, public officials, and citizen activists should have a greater understanding of the consequences that building for cars has had on communities (of all sizes). Curbing Traffic provides relatable, emotional, and personal reasons why it matters and inspiration for exporting the low-car city.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
October 7, 2022
It's short, but extremely effective at conveying its points.
1) Can I live in Delft, please.
2) I mentioned this in my review of the High Cost of Free Parking but -- we drive cars because we design for cars. Stop designing for cars, and people will stop driving them. I'm particularly struck by the Dutch model of actually having an overarching plan for their cycling infrastructure. Not Just Bikes did a fantastic video on this a little while back, but basically, if you want to get from point A to point B, there will be a different route if you go by car (usually around the periphery) than if you go by bike (usually more direct). Where America gives pride of place to the car, even when they build cycling infrastructure it parallels the auto route, so you're still setting yourself up for a lot of conflict points and dangerous behavior.
I deal with this a lot in my professional life -- people constantly ask for things we can do to slow down traffic. The Dutch have it right. People do not listen to speed limit signs, they do not listen to flashy radar signs, and except for a very short period of time right afterwards, do not change their behavior due to being ticketed. The geometry of the roads needs to change. Make them narrower, make them out of bricks on purpose because it's annoying to drive on at high speeds, make clear that they are guests, not owners, of the public space. The authors at one point say "The Dutch do not like stop signs. If they have to put one up, it means there's been a design failure, so they go back to the drawing board and redesign the intersection". By and large, people do what makes them comfortable. It's a simple truth that we tie ourselves in knots trying to get out of because we don't want to make big systemic changes like that but : if we don't want people to drive fast, then we need to make driving fast uncomfortable.
3) on a related note : zoning. I'm surprised they didn't talk more about this, but one of the other huge things the Dutch to involves mixed-use zoning and middle housing. There's some pointed comments in here about (largely white male) planners in the 60s trying to separate everything into "all the housing goes here, all the working goes over here, all the fun stuff goes over here" in a way that is instantly familiar to anyone who has ever played SimCity (or Cities: Skylines, which while superior in many ways, still falls prey to the same overly simple zoning building blocks). This means a lot of long trips because your house is surrounded by other houses, not by places you need to go. Allowing small businesses to mix in would help shift us away from car-centered culture by creating smaller, more self-sufficient neighborhoods.
They do a really great job of highlighting all the ways that having fewer cars is better for everyone -- and they really do mean everyone, especially people who have been disadvantaged by current models. Low-income, disabled, women, the elderly...from an equity lens everything they propose here would be a great improvement over what we have now.
"The car" is not freedom, every TV ad you've ever seen for one to the contrary. In order to do anything in the US, you have to have one, and all of the financial commitments that entails, which really makes it more like a prison.
1) Can I live in Delft, please.
2) I mentioned this in my review of the High Cost of Free Parking but -- we drive cars because we design for cars. Stop designing for cars, and people will stop driving them. I'm particularly struck by the Dutch model of actually having an overarching plan for their cycling infrastructure. Not Just Bikes did a fantastic video on this a little while back, but basically, if you want to get from point A to point B, there will be a different route if you go by car (usually around the periphery) than if you go by bike (usually more direct). Where America gives pride of place to the car, even when they build cycling infrastructure it parallels the auto route, so you're still setting yourself up for a lot of conflict points and dangerous behavior.
I deal with this a lot in my professional life -- people constantly ask for things we can do to slow down traffic. The Dutch have it right. People do not listen to speed limit signs, they do not listen to flashy radar signs, and except for a very short period of time right afterwards, do not change their behavior due to being ticketed. The geometry of the roads needs to change. Make them narrower, make them out of bricks on purpose because it's annoying to drive on at high speeds, make clear that they are guests, not owners, of the public space. The authors at one point say "The Dutch do not like stop signs. If they have to put one up, it means there's been a design failure, so they go back to the drawing board and redesign the intersection". By and large, people do what makes them comfortable. It's a simple truth that we tie ourselves in knots trying to get out of because we don't want to make big systemic changes like that but : if we don't want people to drive fast, then we need to make driving fast uncomfortable.
3) on a related note : zoning. I'm surprised they didn't talk more about this, but one of the other huge things the Dutch to involves mixed-use zoning and middle housing. There's some pointed comments in here about (largely white male) planners in the 60s trying to separate everything into "all the housing goes here, all the working goes over here, all the fun stuff goes over here" in a way that is instantly familiar to anyone who has ever played SimCity (or Cities: Skylines, which while superior in many ways, still falls prey to the same overly simple zoning building blocks). This means a lot of long trips because your house is surrounded by other houses, not by places you need to go. Allowing small businesses to mix in would help shift us away from car-centered culture by creating smaller, more self-sufficient neighborhoods.
They do a really great job of highlighting all the ways that having fewer cars is better for everyone -- and they really do mean everyone, especially people who have been disadvantaged by current models. Low-income, disabled, women, the elderly...from an equity lens everything they propose here would be a great improvement over what we have now.
"The car" is not freedom, every TV ad you've ever seen for one to the contrary. In order to do anything in the US, you have to have one, and all of the financial commitments that entails, which really makes it more like a prison.
November 28, 2021
Us Americans have been subjected to decades of mental conditioning around transportation and how our cities work at the behest of corporate interests. It is time to move on. Read this book.
July 31, 2021
Phenomenal. Well written mix of anecdotes from the authors' lives in Delft and all sorts of data on why reducing the number and speed of cars in urban areas is a necessity as we move towards a more equitable, sustainable, and liveable future.
December 19, 2024
Loved this! Perhaps even a life changing book. I genuinely would recommend it to everyone and especially to those interested in having their preconceived ideas about the status quo of transportation and car dependence challenged.
Reading this was eye opening. It made me recognize the impact a mode of transportation can have on your overall wellbeing. It’s hard to deny all of the positive outcomes of planning a city around active modes of transportation like walking and biking have on every aspect of our lives. And these benefits are available to all not just people with a drivers license or who can afford a car!
Reading this was eye opening. It made me recognize the impact a mode of transportation can have on your overall wellbeing. It’s hard to deny all of the positive outcomes of planning a city around active modes of transportation like walking and biking have on every aspect of our lives. And these benefits are available to all not just people with a drivers license or who can afford a car!
January 31, 2022
The YouTube algorithm randomly recommended me Chris’ channel - Not Just Bikes - and since then I’ve really been thinking about urban planning and the “car light” city. This book is a great follow up to that and I agree with almost every single thing the authors have written about. Reducing the automobile’s supremacy and instead replacing/reprioritizing it with more equitable and active means of transportation such walking, biking, and using public transit is something they’ve exemplified as a huge positive when they compare Delft, Netherlands to various cities in Canada. There are SO MANY POSITIVES - some may seem a little more obvious such as health benefits and being good for the environment (which are indeed mentioned) but there were also many factors which I hadn’t considered before such as feminism, ageism, class divide/equality etc etc. A very interesting and informative read which I highly recommend. Can only hope other places around the world begin to model themselves around the Dutch example and soon!
September 7, 2025
%50, DNF. I think the book is full of cliches, many claims were not supported by any reference, and biased. For example the authors compare Delft's noise levels to London, which is absurd, weather you like cars or bikes. Again, comparing a small city such as Delft with their hometown at Canada does not make sense either.
I saw this book on Not Just Bikes Youtube channel and wanted to give a chance. But cannot waste my time anymore.
+ Cycling is a great way to meet strangers, but not the only way. One who needs to meet strangers needs an open mind, nothing else.
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+
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I saw this book on Not Just Bikes Youtube channel and wanted to give a chance. But cannot waste my time anymore.
+ Cycling is a great way to meet strangers, but not the only way. One who needs to meet strangers needs an open mind, nothing else.
+
......Sharing its cycle paths with the proverbial 'other', including men woman and children of Turkish, Moroccan and Ethiopian descent - allowed to get out of our social and spatial bubble...The text gets more and more bizarre.
+
...On a smaller scale, this is already happening with ride-hailing services, such as Uber and Lyft, gradually diminishing our capacity to trust, and willingness to get out of our way to help one another...?????
+
...This starts to explain the rise of populism in the UK and USA (and its failure to largely gain traction in the Netherlands)..Very premature comments.
Read
August 5, 2025I read this because Hunter has been asking me to for quite some time. I enjoyed it! I liked the personal anecdotes and the research about the benefits of walking/biking/less car use/safety/etc, I wasn’t a huge fan of the super in depth descriptions about urban planning and found those parts quite boring. I agree with a lot of what is said in here and have experienced the benefits of living in two more walkable/public transit friendly cities in the US, but they are no where near what they’re doing in the Netherlands. It did make me rethink how we should think about cars vs pedestrians and bikers. I especially enjoyed the chapters about a child-friendly city (Anxious Generation vibes), the therapeutic city, and the resilient city.
May 11, 2022
Cycling good, car bad.
But seriously, it's ridiculous how car-dependent LA County is, and the rest of SoCal, when you look at a country like the Netherlands and see what it did with its biking-friendly infrastructure. Driving around LA gives you the impression that it's a city designed for cars; pedestrians and cyclists are at their mercy. Worse, it's not even designed well for cars—traffic is all but guaranteed, and so are the annual traffic collisions and deaths that we just accept to be inevitable.
And we're forced by the lack of real alternatives to drive our cars. We pay maintenance, worry about parking, are stuck in "islands" or "pockets" in our cities and we drive from one to the next, all the while dealing with the stress that comes from driving and being stuck in traffic. Death, always, is a risk. A sense of community? Hard to come by. Not to mention the harmful effects driving has on air pollution, noise pollution, the climate, and more.
And here's where the book introduces an alternative: the city of Delft. Roads made and designed for people and cyclists, where cars are the guests (reinforced by subtle things such as brick-paved roads that slow down drivers). People can choose to walk, cycle, take the bus, or take the train. People see each other instead of each other's cars, which makes you remember that others are actual humans. No road rage. Kids can be independent, not left at the whims of their parents and friends who can drive.
The city, by result, is quieter, healthier, safer, and better connected. It's not a concrete jungle, it's an actual city designed and made for people—a city that freaking remembers that we walk.
This book makes me sad at the lifestyle we have here in LA county, and it makes me remember that it doesn't have to be this way. Adopting a city design like the one in Delft will mean that our cities are healthier, safer, and better, as documented in the book.
(This isn't to say that driving is bad in itself. I like it sometimes. But we shouldn't be forced to drive, and there should be alternatives available—because they would make driving conditions better, too.)
But seriously, it's ridiculous how car-dependent LA County is, and the rest of SoCal, when you look at a country like the Netherlands and see what it did with its biking-friendly infrastructure. Driving around LA gives you the impression that it's a city designed for cars; pedestrians and cyclists are at their mercy. Worse, it's not even designed well for cars—traffic is all but guaranteed, and so are the annual traffic collisions and deaths that we just accept to be inevitable.
And we're forced by the lack of real alternatives to drive our cars. We pay maintenance, worry about parking, are stuck in "islands" or "pockets" in our cities and we drive from one to the next, all the while dealing with the stress that comes from driving and being stuck in traffic. Death, always, is a risk. A sense of community? Hard to come by. Not to mention the harmful effects driving has on air pollution, noise pollution, the climate, and more.
And here's where the book introduces an alternative: the city of Delft. Roads made and designed for people and cyclists, where cars are the guests (reinforced by subtle things such as brick-paved roads that slow down drivers). People can choose to walk, cycle, take the bus, or take the train. People see each other instead of each other's cars, which makes you remember that others are actual humans. No road rage. Kids can be independent, not left at the whims of their parents and friends who can drive.
The city, by result, is quieter, healthier, safer, and better connected. It's not a concrete jungle, it's an actual city designed and made for people—a city that freaking remembers that we walk.
This book makes me sad at the lifestyle we have here in LA county, and it makes me remember that it doesn't have to be this way. Adopting a city design like the one in Delft will mean that our cities are healthier, safer, and better, as documented in the book.
(This isn't to say that driving is bad in itself. I like it sometimes. But we shouldn't be forced to drive, and there should be alternatives available—because they would make driving conditions better, too.)
May 26, 2022
This book honestly almost made me tear up a few times reading/thinking about how much kinder our society and built environment could be, how we could design a city and country that sets its people up for happiness and success instead of poverty, injury, and loneliness. Showcases how our infrastructure impacts our culture which impacts our infrastructure and so on, and makes me wish it was easier to move to the Netherlands!
June 21, 2025
I'm just gonna come out and say that I'm personally biased against this book and it probably deserves five starts. It doesn't really do anything horribly wrong or offensive, my main problems are just the following:
1. I don't think there anything extremely new argued in this book. It's very standard "cars are bad, bikes are good" lines of text. I'll just be real here: once you've read one or two of this kind of entry-level urban planning book, you've basically read them all. I get that this book is maybe supposed to be more entry-level, but I still found it pretty repetitive, both internally and externally.
2. This is my personal bias: I do not like hearing about Europe or the Netherlands. Yes, they have amazing planning and live in 2080. I get it. I don't want to read 200 pages that retread that ground about the amazing European fantasy land and how disgusting and horrible North American planning is. I agree with everything they say, it's just a very annoying read because it kind of feels like hearing your friend drone on about his EU vacation. I don't want to hear about it anymore. It's made even more annoying because the book itself is very formulaic: it starts with how the author's lives have changed by moving to their Dutch city and how amazing it is (about 30-50% of the chapter) and then lists a bunch of data backing up those feelings.
This book isn't bad. If you're just getting into urban planning or bikability or whatever and you want to hear a lot about the lived experience of Canadian transplants, this is the book for you. If you've read any other pop planning books, you can probably skip this (or if you want to know more about bikes, well then just mosey on over to their other book, Building the Cycling City. I have thoughts about that title as well, but I think it has much more of a reason for existing).
1. I don't think there anything extremely new argued in this book. It's very standard "cars are bad, bikes are good" lines of text. I'll just be real here: once you've read one or two of this kind of entry-level urban planning book, you've basically read them all. I get that this book is maybe supposed to be more entry-level, but I still found it pretty repetitive, both internally and externally.
2. This is my personal bias: I do not like hearing about Europe or the Netherlands. Yes, they have amazing planning and live in 2080. I get it. I don't want to read 200 pages that retread that ground about the amazing European fantasy land and how disgusting and horrible North American planning is. I agree with everything they say, it's just a very annoying read because it kind of feels like hearing your friend drone on about his EU vacation. I don't want to hear about it anymore. It's made even more annoying because the book itself is very formulaic: it starts with how the author's lives have changed by moving to their Dutch city and how amazing it is (about 30-50% of the chapter) and then lists a bunch of data backing up those feelings.
This book isn't bad. If you're just getting into urban planning or bikability or whatever and you want to hear a lot about the lived experience of Canadian transplants, this is the book for you. If you've read any other pop planning books, you can probably skip this (or if you want to know more about bikes, well then just mosey on over to their other book, Building the Cycling City. I have thoughts about that title as well, but I think it has much more of a reason for existing).
September 13, 2024
This book convinced me it’s time to embrace my Dutch heritage and move to the Netherlands. A great, succinct pitch on the benefits of car-lite cities for everyone (even drivers).
September 20, 2021
This is a transformative book that gives account to the great potential we have to improve health and happiness with one simple change: curbing traffic. Cars have brought benefits, but as this book highlights so well, countless costs too, that are often hidden and assumed unchangeable.
Between the way they endanger, isolate, and make children dependent longer, to the noise pollution and emissions they produce, to the damage they do to our social lives and communities, cars are not good (at least as the primary transportation method for our society). This book highlights what is possible. Tackling countless myths and what-ifs of car reduction, the authors show how Delft and much of the Netherlands has built humane cities based on walking, biking, and transit.
Cities are for 8 year olds and 80 year olds, the able bodied and those with limitations, and the working person or the stay at home caregiver. Streets aren't for cars. They existed long before cars and will exist once we see car ownership become a thing of the past. Streets are for people and are the greatest potential to transform our cities into more vibrant and healthy communities for people.
This felt like a manifesto for a new vision of society, not just a book about bikes and cars. It's time we reclaim our streets. A better future is possible.
Between the way they endanger, isolate, and make children dependent longer, to the noise pollution and emissions they produce, to the damage they do to our social lives and communities, cars are not good (at least as the primary transportation method for our society). This book highlights what is possible. Tackling countless myths and what-ifs of car reduction, the authors show how Delft and much of the Netherlands has built humane cities based on walking, biking, and transit.
Cities are for 8 year olds and 80 year olds, the able bodied and those with limitations, and the working person or the stay at home caregiver. Streets aren't for cars. They existed long before cars and will exist once we see car ownership become a thing of the past. Streets are for people and are the greatest potential to transform our cities into more vibrant and healthy communities for people.
This felt like a manifesto for a new vision of society, not just a book about bikes and cars. It's time we reclaim our streets. A better future is possible.
June 27, 2022
A fantastic read, one that made me want to pack up all my things and move to Holland. Bruntlett chronicles her experiences moving to Delft, Netherlands and ties in research from a variety of experts to support her points. Because she writes about her personal experience relocating from Canada to the Netherlands with her family, her writing is not only educational but also accessible and interesting, a balance that is not easy to find in this field. She outlines plenty of interesting benefits to car-free cities that I hadn't given much prior thought to, like improved social mobility for the poor and better accessibility for the disabled and elderly. I will be sure to include the Netherlands in my next trip to Europe so I can see how well-designed their cities are for myself.
The only drawback of this book is that while Bruntlett strikes a hopeful tone in the face of a bleak outlook, reading about the fantasy that is Delft might make you more acutely aware of how poorly your city is designed and subsequently more miserable as you daydream about starting a new life in a cozy, bikeable European city.
If you're still interested in this sort of human-centered urban design, I recommend you check out the Youtube channels Not Just Bikes and City Beautiful. I first heard of this book on Not Just Bikes, and all of the videos are fascinating.
The only drawback of this book is that while Bruntlett strikes a hopeful tone in the face of a bleak outlook, reading about the fantasy that is Delft might make you more acutely aware of how poorly your city is designed and subsequently more miserable as you daydream about starting a new life in a cozy, bikeable European city.
If you're still interested in this sort of human-centered urban design, I recommend you check out the Youtube channels Not Just Bikes and City Beautiful. I first heard of this book on Not Just Bikes, and all of the videos are fascinating.
February 3, 2023
Could not agree more with the central message of the book. I also think it maybe should have been 50 pages max?
A few of the “cars = bad” assertions go a bit far for me… at one point there is a suggestion that cars/traffic cause schizophrenia!?
Anyways I still found it inspiring despite some flaws. Prepare to be bike-pilled.
A few of the “cars = bad” assertions go a bit far for me… at one point there is a suggestion that cars/traffic cause schizophrenia!?
Anyways I still found it inspiring despite some flaws. Prepare to be bike-pilled.
December 17, 2023
I looooooooove when a book backs my pre existing bias
January 10, 2024
A few years ago, Chris and Melissa Bruntlett moved from Vancouver to Delft, and wrote a book (Building the Cycling City) on how Dutch city design not only facilitates, but encourages, cycling as a primary of transportation. Having explained how, Curbing Traffic delves into the why, combining critiques of what car-oriented design costs people and cities with personal experiences from living in Delft. Although flecked with some oddities, the book does a good job of collecting and distilling insights from different quarters into a overarching argument for restoring people and not machines to the masters of our city streets.
The book opens with a recollection of the Bruntletts’ move to the Netherlands, which they’d undertaken because while Vancouver had been fine for a young couple having fun, once children entered the picture they knew they wanted to raise them somewhere else, a place where kids could really flourish — a place they already admired. The Netherlands’ emphasis on people over cars is more than dedicated, sheltered bike lanes: there exists an entire organized approach to humane design, beginning with a hierarchy of different road/street types with different design principles, ranging from an auto-oriented outer ring road to interior ‘living streets’ that are effectively auto-free, save for those belonging to residents, and the street itself regarded primarily as an area for play and socialization. The Dutch incorporate different paving materials like cobblestones to communicate to drivers that they’re in a special zone, and even beyond these Delft’s streets make clear that people are king: instead of sidewalks abruptly ending at traffic sewers and forcing pedestrians to scamper across with beg buttons, street crossings are at the same level as the sidewalks and cars must slow to gently roll over them.
Why all this is done is the main subject of the book, and the Bruntletts explore the question via both studies and their personal experiences. A city in which the residents move about primarily via walking, cycling, or public transit is a healthier city — not only because physical activity is salutatory to brain and body alike, but because noise pollution and emissions have a grinding, noxious effect. Even longterm residents of cities who think they are ‘used’ to the city’s background noise experience deleterious effects, as their bodes respond with chronic high levels of stress hormones and elevated blood pressure. When cars are marginalized, everyone benefits — but especially the young and old. The Bruntletts moved to Delft so their children could be more free, but even they were surprised by how quickly their kids embraced their newfound independence: they were soon making their own schedules, meeting with friends, taking care of errands, and living life on two wheels without having to dominate mom and dad’s life as chauffeur. This is liberating not only for the kids, but for the parents, especially mothers who are invariably primary caregivers. The Bruntletts also spotlight how Dutch cities allow the elderly to maintain their independence as well, even if they become physically disabled and need to rely on scooters & wheelchairs. Environmental aspects are also covered, of course: not only the obvious matters subjects like emissions, but the material costs of cars versus say, bicycles, and the hazards created by cities covered in asphalt — particularly noxious rainwater runoff. They also dip into more obscure factors, like how auto orientation diminishes people’s connections to their fellow citizens and to the fabric of the city itself.Ultimately, this car-marginalized design allows people to be people — to be independent regardless of age or ability, to have easy access to a variety of goods and services regardless of where they are in the city, to mingle with their fellow man and enjoy the good life together.
There are some quirks, of course: the chapter on “The Feminist City” addresses the positive aspects of people-oriented design for women and refers to other cities as ‘patriarchal’, which…doesn’t make any sense: something can be hostile to women’s interest without favoring male interests. Frankly, irrelevant identity politics pops up here quite a bit, like the risible declaration that pedestrian accidents worldwide chiefly affect ‘people of color’. Well, if we’re using that stupidly contemptible expression to refer to people who aren’t ethnically European, and we consider the fact that most people are not, in fact, European, then the statement is meaningless. Despite this silliness, most of the book deals with facts rather than the talking points of the day, and does a nice job of corralling all the pertinent aspects. The big limitation of the book is its applicability to other cities, particularly those that have followed the postwar North American model. Transit and cycles don’t scale well to sprawl, meaning these lessons can only be integrated into existing cities with the right density, or (more easily but less preferably) into new developments.
The book opens with a recollection of the Bruntletts’ move to the Netherlands, which they’d undertaken because while Vancouver had been fine for a young couple having fun, once children entered the picture they knew they wanted to raise them somewhere else, a place where kids could really flourish — a place they already admired. The Netherlands’ emphasis on people over cars is more than dedicated, sheltered bike lanes: there exists an entire organized approach to humane design, beginning with a hierarchy of different road/street types with different design principles, ranging from an auto-oriented outer ring road to interior ‘living streets’ that are effectively auto-free, save for those belonging to residents, and the street itself regarded primarily as an area for play and socialization. The Dutch incorporate different paving materials like cobblestones to communicate to drivers that they’re in a special zone, and even beyond these Delft’s streets make clear that people are king: instead of sidewalks abruptly ending at traffic sewers and forcing pedestrians to scamper across with beg buttons, street crossings are at the same level as the sidewalks and cars must slow to gently roll over them.
Why all this is done is the main subject of the book, and the Bruntletts explore the question via both studies and their personal experiences. A city in which the residents move about primarily via walking, cycling, or public transit is a healthier city — not only because physical activity is salutatory to brain and body alike, but because noise pollution and emissions have a grinding, noxious effect. Even longterm residents of cities who think they are ‘used’ to the city’s background noise experience deleterious effects, as their bodes respond with chronic high levels of stress hormones and elevated blood pressure. When cars are marginalized, everyone benefits — but especially the young and old. The Bruntletts moved to Delft so their children could be more free, but even they were surprised by how quickly their kids embraced their newfound independence: they were soon making their own schedules, meeting with friends, taking care of errands, and living life on two wheels without having to dominate mom and dad’s life as chauffeur. This is liberating not only for the kids, but for the parents, especially mothers who are invariably primary caregivers. The Bruntletts also spotlight how Dutch cities allow the elderly to maintain their independence as well, even if they become physically disabled and need to rely on scooters & wheelchairs. Environmental aspects are also covered, of course: not only the obvious matters subjects like emissions, but the material costs of cars versus say, bicycles, and the hazards created by cities covered in asphalt — particularly noxious rainwater runoff. They also dip into more obscure factors, like how auto orientation diminishes people’s connections to their fellow citizens and to the fabric of the city itself.Ultimately, this car-marginalized design allows people to be people — to be independent regardless of age or ability, to have easy access to a variety of goods and services regardless of where they are in the city, to mingle with their fellow man and enjoy the good life together.
There are some quirks, of course: the chapter on “The Feminist City” addresses the positive aspects of people-oriented design for women and refers to other cities as ‘patriarchal’, which…doesn’t make any sense: something can be hostile to women’s interest without favoring male interests. Frankly, irrelevant identity politics pops up here quite a bit, like the risible declaration that pedestrian accidents worldwide chiefly affect ‘people of color’. Well, if we’re using that stupidly contemptible expression to refer to people who aren’t ethnically European, and we consider the fact that most people are not, in fact, European, then the statement is meaningless. Despite this silliness, most of the book deals with facts rather than the talking points of the day, and does a nice job of corralling all the pertinent aspects. The big limitation of the book is its applicability to other cities, particularly those that have followed the postwar North American model. Transit and cycles don’t scale well to sprawl, meaning these lessons can only be integrated into existing cities with the right density, or (more easily but less preferably) into new developments.
December 25, 2022
Generally enjoyable, simple and holistic intro to sustainable infrastructure/transportation and all of its human benefits. Very liberal. I sometimes wished for more thorough and incisive or deeper, more nuanced and complex critiques; ie it’s kind of funny to point out how much mobility networks to employment affect the potential upward economic mobility of individuals without questioning the concept that we all need to be competing for upward economic mobility (via employment) for happy and comfortable lives. Sometimes some conclusions or impacts I felt were overstated, not because I disagreed but because again there was a lack of nuance and complexity - like, obviously non-car-centric transportation networks are much more pro social and better than the alternative, but to imply they would actually solve or meaningfully affect political divisions without more deeply going into the ideological and other material manifestations and impacts of neoliberalism besides car culture? Felt a bit goofy. The annoying thing, again, is that I actually totally agree with everything they’re advocating for, but sometimes it just felt really “rah rah rah” without enough critical analysis. Even the discussions of disability or race or age felt a bit perfunctory and the example individuals felt a little tokenistic; I liked the examples and individual stories, but couldn’t there have been multiple, and/or just like, more non-white people?
Anyway, generally enjoyable read, probably more geared towards people who need to be convinced against car culture still, but would recommend. Definitely also reignited some wistful Dutch fantasies in my brain.
Anyway, generally enjoyable read, probably more geared towards people who need to be convinced against car culture still, but would recommend. Definitely also reignited some wistful Dutch fantasies in my brain.
December 26, 2022
Very good premise, with some very interesting stories to learn from. However, if you’ve read Jane Jacobs, there’s not a lot of surprising ideas. Some parts could have been much shorter. Towards the end, some of the concepts become very redundant. I was expecting a more technical approach. Most of the points have already been made many times in similar articles/books.
March 11, 2024
3.5
v OT
ive been bike pilled
sad ill likely never live in a modacity 🤧
v OT
ive been bike pilled
sad ill likely never live in a modacity 🤧
February 1, 2022
Really good. A lot of it was confirming stuff I already knew, but much of the social benefits of fewer cars on the roads were hammered home by wonderful anecdotes from their time in Delft. For me, the #1 reason for fewer cars is the climate crisis. The transportation sector is the #1 sector for emissions in the U.S., and personal vehicles are the biggest chunk of that sector. But their chapters on accessibility, feminism, aging - these were wonderful - highlighting how transforming our transportation system away from cars is all about equity. Biggest takeaway for me was on p. 97 in the chapter called "Hearing City."
"Generally speaking, traffic noise is generated by a combination of two sources: rolling noise (created by the tires interacting with the surface of the road) and propulsion noise (created by the car's engine, exhaust, transmission, and brakes). While we tend to focus our attention and ire on the latter, the former in fact becomes a car's loudest source of noise at 55 km/h (35 mph) or greater. For a heavy goods vehicle, the speed is 70 km/h (45 mph) or greater. Thus, on many of the streets throughout our neighborhoods, the friction of rubber on asphalt is actually a car's primary source of noise pollution, an inconvenient truth that won't be changed by the adoption of electric cars."
This quote wonderfully spells out reason number a million why "everybody buy an EV" is a terrible solution to climate, noise, traffic violence, and everything else.
"Generally speaking, traffic noise is generated by a combination of two sources: rolling noise (created by the tires interacting with the surface of the road) and propulsion noise (created by the car's engine, exhaust, transmission, and brakes). While we tend to focus our attention and ire on the latter, the former in fact becomes a car's loudest source of noise at 55 km/h (35 mph) or greater. For a heavy goods vehicle, the speed is 70 km/h (45 mph) or greater. Thus, on many of the streets throughout our neighborhoods, the friction of rubber on asphalt is actually a car's primary source of noise pollution, an inconvenient truth that won't be changed by the adoption of electric cars."
This quote wonderfully spells out reason number a million why "everybody buy an EV" is a terrible solution to climate, noise, traffic violence, and everything else.
January 11, 2023
Well, this was fun! Who would have thought I'd be able to finish the book in like three days...
The book was concise, fairly short, informative, motivating..., honestly everything one could want from a non-fiction urban-planning book. It made me think about my future and the future I am here to shape. It made amazing points and honestly at some point I'd love to try living in the Netherlands. Possibly once I'm at university I'll do one Erasmus in Spain and one in the Netherlands, how amazing would that be!
Who is this book for? NotJustBikes enthusiasts? Definitely, but it's such a quick read that I'd recommend it to everyone, it lays down clear points on how to shape a brighter tomorrow, a tomorrow that is not plagued by depression and isolation in an ever-so-hyperconnected reality.
The book was concise, fairly short, informative, motivating..., honestly everything one could want from a non-fiction urban-planning book. It made me think about my future and the future I am here to shape. It made amazing points and honestly at some point I'd love to try living in the Netherlands. Possibly once I'm at university I'll do one Erasmus in Spain and one in the Netherlands, how amazing would that be!
Who is this book for? NotJustBikes enthusiasts? Definitely, but it's such a quick read that I'd recommend it to everyone, it lays down clear points on how to shape a brighter tomorrow, a tomorrow that is not plagued by depression and isolation in an ever-so-hyperconnected reality.
May 27, 2022
There are so many books out there on the cold, analytical aspects of cities, but so few on the human aspect. Which is bizarre to me because cities are arguably humanity's greatest social experiment.
This is a beautiful book that examines the human and social cost of car centric urban planning. I loved the chapters on the hearing city, feminist city, and resilient city.
This is a beautiful book that examines the human and social cost of car centric urban planning. I loved the chapters on the hearing city, feminist city, and resilient city.
November 8, 2024
This is 100% focused on the authors' move from Vancouver to Delft, and so really it is a case for living in Delft/the Netherlands. It is not really a book about how you ‘curb traffic’ if you live outside the Netherlands, and so if you, like I, are really looking for more varied case studies this book is a bit of a disappointment.
November 10, 2022
Everyone complaining about traffic in Delhi or Bangalore, read this.
February 11, 2023
Life affirming book. ❤️❤️❤️
May 11, 2023
All the why's of getting traffic out of our lives.
September 5, 2023
Love the content as a walkable/bikeable urbanism advocate, but if you compare this to Jeff Speck's Walkable City, it lacks delivery.
March 18, 2022
Excellent book on feasible alternatives to a car-centric world. Which includes all kinds of added bonusses (independent and happy kids, accessibility).
The authors are Canadians who moved to Delft (the Netherlands). They are so lyrical and extremely positive about the Dutch situation, that it sometimes felt quite embarrassing as a Dutch person. Obviously, I'm proud of our infrastructure and cyclist-friendly environment (I don't own a car and do my grocery shopping using my bakfiets [cargobike]), but I'm not sure Dutch city planning is always a Valhalla.
Summary in blogpost: https://wilte.wordpress.com/2022/03/1...
The authors are Canadians who moved to Delft (the Netherlands). They are so lyrical and extremely positive about the Dutch situation, that it sometimes felt quite embarrassing as a Dutch person. Obviously, I'm proud of our infrastructure and cyclist-friendly environment (I don't own a car and do my grocery shopping using my bakfiets [cargobike]), but I'm not sure Dutch city planning is always a Valhalla.
Summary in blogpost: https://wilte.wordpress.com/2022/03/1...
April 22, 2024
It takes a closer look at a lot of different aspects of why cities should be designed for people in mind (not cars), and describes experience of such implemented aspects from personal perspective. A good read for anyone who is ready to accept that cities can and should be designed differently, and explore reasons why.
June 19, 2024
1.5 // The human cases for fewer cars aren’t very interesting to me and they seem very impractical in an economic sense rendering them unlikely to ever be implemented or even considered. Not sure these are realistic approaches to fewer cars. This book outlines many successful bike policy of a Dutch town but dosent provide strategies to apply on a larger scale in bigger cities.
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