Not Just Bikes 🇳🇱

https://social.notjustbikes.com/@notjustbikes

An old guy who has been places and seen things.

Do not re-post my posts (or screenshots of my posts) on other platforms. These posts are meant only for Mastodon.

YouTube: https://youtube.com/notjustbikes
Nebula: https://nebula.tv/notjustbikes
Patreon: https://patreon.com/notjustbikes
Pronouns: he/him

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npub1z7xtq2j2202tfpxl7cmfmac4n45gv6tuyuwjdcfu0gyc58jxek9qc6q5jf

NIP-05 Address

notjustbikes_at_social.notjustbikes.com@momostr.pink

Profile Code

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npub1z7xtq2j2202tfpxl7cmfmac4n45gv6tuyuwjdcfu0gyc58jxek9qc6q5jf

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Last Notes

2024-09-16 10:54:07

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The band broke up ages ago, but they reunited somewhat in 2008 to play the occasional live show with other 90s indie acts.
I might have to go see them play some time for old time's sake ...
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/113/146/854/679/326/322/original/23a160354d7cc078.png

2024-09-16 10:51:04

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They were notable in that they had two bass players, and some absolutely ridiculous lyrics at times.
Their best known songs are "Grey Cell Green" and "Kill Your Television":
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=c0ptSGGcQUs
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=xPA0gR1ctQ4

2024-09-16 10:43:49

I'm definitely showing my age here, but did anybody else used to listen to Ned's Atomic Dustbin?
I was a huge Ned's fan in the 90s.
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/113/146/817/021/071/289/original/bc4042016cfd7169.png

2024-08-15 19:24:22

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Yonge is where I picked up the car. It obviously wasn't my destination!

2024-08-15 19:21:35

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well that's fun.
That's been my experience with owning cars, too. Lots of time spent at the dealership due to electrical faults. 🙄

2024-08-15 19:19:24

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it's more expensive than the Toyotas at the same garage, but if I'm going to have to drive through a car-infested suburban wasteland, I want to be sitting on a leather couch.

2024-08-15 19:16:48

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sadly there's no other way I could go when I needed to drop off the car on Rowhampton. 🤷‍♂️

2024-08-15 19:03:01

Just another normal day for NJB, filling up my Audi with gasoline! 👍 ⛽🚗
(put down the pitchforks, it's a carshare car)
My conclusions:
Toronto sucks to get around by any means of transportation; car-centric cities don't work well for anyone.
There are WAY too many destinations in the GTA that are inaccessible by transit.
It's been so many years that I forgot how gross gasoline is. Plugging in an electric car at home is so much better.
Android Auto works pretty well.
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/967/542/199/154/046/original/f76320292a7a61fb.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/967/572/978/179/508/original/cc772dfa7e264f1c.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/967/574/604/174/763/original/967163aa635c8578.jpg

2024-07-09 18:55:42

Oh man, the governor of New York REALLY screwed up with congestion pricing.
The cameras were up, the staff were hired, the metro projects were financed, and thousands of people were lined up to make public transit better ... and then the governor cancelled it on vibes.
I talk about the ensuing shitshow with Doug from @npub1thu…8zxf in the latest episode of the Urbanist Agenda, now on Nebula.
... or wait for Friday to hear it on public podcast platforms.
https://nebula.tv/agenda/nyc-really-screwed-up-congestion-pricing-with-doug-gordon

2024-07-09 14:12:39

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I don't know whether to listen, because I know it will be interesting, or avoid it altogether because anything about John Forester gives me cycling PTSD. 😬

2024-07-09 13:24:18

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clearly not, because they made me complete a car-related captcha when trying to read the article. 😂
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/756/745/517/488/400/original/c335f0d816a0078b.png

2024-07-09 13:20:17

It looks like Utrecht Centraal has been renamed today. 🤔
This is a newly refurbished VIRM but it's having some teething issues. The A/C system is also not working so they're rebooting it now. 😬
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/756/729/745/888/547/original/69d791e8c0625d3d.jpg

2024-07-06 23:57:35

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FYI I have just unblocked urbanists.social.
I blocked the server last year because I was getting inundated with trolling and tone policing from people on your server. I was getting sick of blocking individuals so I blocked the whole server.
It's unblocked for now and we'll see how it goes.

2024-07-06 23:51:03

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drivers in their 20s are novice drivers and are therefore more likely to get in a crash, but they are also more likely to drive dangerously, especially men.

2024-07-06 23:32:34

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yes. There was a recent uptick in cycling deaths in the Netherlands and all sorts of media outlets around the world interpreted it incorrectly, coming to all kinds of ridiculous conclusions and stupid "solutions."
After looking at the actual data, nearly 100% of the increase came from elderly people using ebikes.
Once you know that, then you can work on actual solutions.

2024-07-06 23:13:51

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correct.
And of course this is completely ignored by anti-urbanists, because to them, "cyclists" are men between the ages of 20 and 35 who irrationally like bicycles. They cannot comprehend utility cycling done by people of all ages, because of their wilful ignorance.

2024-07-06 23:04:53

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It's also complicated by the fact that the Netherlands has very very high quality data about cycling (like modeshare), while other countries do not.
So you're comparing good data to guaranteed incomplete and/or inaccurate data.
And if somebody tries to "debunk" Dutch cycling infrastructure design by looking only at "cycling deaths per capita" I just immediately block them.
That's just moronic when over 80% of people cycle here, while less than 1% of people cycle in many other countries.

2024-07-06 23:00:46

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Now some might then go on to say that older people shouldn't be cycling, then they'd be "safe".
But these people are still dying (often at even higher rates) in other countries; they just don't show up in "cycling" statistics because they're not cycling.
Instead they die of heart disease, or other diseases related to inactivity. Or they die in car crashes.
This is why comparing road safety statistics between countries is extremely difficult, especially for cycling.

2024-07-06 22:57:42

I occasionally get people messaging me after doing a surface-level analysis of how many people die each year from crashes while cycling versus other countries.
This is often done to "debunk" the need for safe cycling infrastructure.
This graph shows the real reason.
Notice that the VAST majority of cycling-related deaths in NL are from people over 60.
People over 60 are more likely to die when they get in a crash.
In other countries, these people don't cycle at all, because it's not safe.
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/741/993/004/203/502/original/be70ae20d95479a3.png

2024-07-06 09:17:59

@npub174w…lms9 hi there. I love the idea of the game you're making!
I've streamed OpenTTD several times on my livestreaming channel (NJB Live), including a few competitions with Master Hellish (who would probably be another YouTuber who would appreciate this game).
I'd like to learn more about it and get an advance copy when it's available!
How is development coming along, and what are your plans for it?

2024-07-05 22:10:41

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it's been a while, but wasn't that awful book he wrote in the 90s, "The Road Ahead", full of how software will become a subscription, while almost completely ignoring the world wide web?

2024-07-05 22:03:54

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yup, as you might expect I've been sent it a few dozen times. But I can't get ahold of the developer to get an advance copy. 😭

2024-07-04 00:07:30

I got one of these ads on Instagram today. I gotta say, they had me for a second.
"Working in the tobacco industry"
https://werkenbijdetabaksindustrie.nl/

2024-07-03 21:36:21

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Germany also has almost 3 times the rate of coronary heart disease as the Netherlands.
Does cycling play a part in that vs a more sedentary lifestyle in Germany?
I have no idea, but it's plausible.
And regardless, elderly people maintaining more independent mobility through cycling is incredibly important for their quality of life.
There are so many factors to consider, which is why I hate focusing just on "cycling" statistics in a vacuum.

2024-07-03 15:48:12

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this is actually why I almost never talk about "statistics" between countries.
Other countries' methods of calculating anything around cycling often uses extremely poor methodology.
Even deaths are calculated differently.
If an old woman on a bike is hit by a car and breaks their hip, then three weeks later dies in hospital due to an infection in the broken hip, is that counted as a "cycling death"? Different counties have different answers to that.

2024-07-03 15:40:56

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I doubt you can directly compare the modeshare because the methods for calculating it between countries will be different.
But I suspect the difference is related to the demographics of people who cycle.
A large segment of cycling deaths in the Netherlands are from elderly people. In other countries, the only people who cycle are young and fit and are much more likely to survive a crash.
Elderly people in most other countries will be too scared to cycle in the first place.

2024-07-01 20:47:21

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the same trend has been happening in the Netherlands. And I've noticed since we moved here that the meat-free section of the grocery store is over twice as big and is also more prominently displayed.
I barely eat meat anymore because I genuinely prefer the alternatives. Like Beyond Meat burgers are way less greasy and they're even available at fast food joints.
I have to assume the worldwide trend is from people being lifted out of poverty who can finally eat meat more often.

2024-07-01 19:25:29

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no, I'm not planning a video about this anytime soon, but Strong Towns talks about this a lot:
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/tag/suburban+poverty

2024-07-01 09:36:52

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surveys like this need to have limitations because otherwise they result in useless responses.
I've been involved in surveys like this before, and if they're open ended when people just crank all the sliders to the maximum and it doesn't mean anything.
I think the UI could be better, but it's good that this survey actually forces people to think about how much space is required and how difficult each decision is.

2024-07-01 09:09:01

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did you watch the video with the instructions? You can't move too many sliders to the right.

2024-07-01 08:30:38

If you live or work in Amsterdam then I recommend that you fill out this survey being done by the gemeente about making space for walking, cycling, public transit, taxis, and driving:
https://amsterdammakesspace.raadpleging.net/

2024-06-30 17:08:24

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nice! Sounds like a great trip.
If I can make people feel comfortable from the sound of a tram then I know I've sound of a tram then I'm definitely doing something right! 😉

2024-06-29 13:49:22

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yep, I have a video about this exact topic:
https://youtu.be/KkO-DttA9ew

2024-06-29 13:39:10

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and this one:
https://youtu.be/_ByEBjf9ktY

2024-06-29 13:34:59

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this was exactly our reality when we lived in Toronto, but once our kids became old enough to ride a bike it was too much for us.
This was one of the top reasons we left Canada and moved to the Netherlands.
I've talked about this in several videos, in particular this one:
https://youtu.be/vMed1qceJ_Q

2024-06-28 22:49:01

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holy crap, about time!
I will be so happy when this finally gets completed. North America needs a win.

2024-06-28 22:44:49

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congrats! I hope you love your cargo bike as much as we do!

2024-06-28 15:04:54

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surprisingly that didn't come up in any of my research on 30kmph cities, but it's great to see!
I think like most thing urban planning, switching to 30kmph speed limits gets a lot of pushback, but when it's actually implemented things go fine and the majority of people like it.

2024-06-24 11:19:18

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I don't have any plans to visit the Balkans at this time, but if I do, I need to have a reason to visit.
Nobody wants to watch a video where I complain about all the things wrong with a place they've never been to. I would prefer to focus on something that is done well, and then mention some of the things they could do better.

2024-06-23 16:22:47

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I'm happy to see more content, I'm just totally sick of hearing about the US.

2024-06-23 15:35:04

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I have no interest in that. I know the US sucks.
Honestly, I'm tired of even talking about it. Online urbanist content is way too oversaturated by American content.

2024-06-23 13:30:57

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that's amazing

2024-06-23 12:18:30

Japan has some truly crazy trains, so while I was there I tried to ride a bunch of them.
Here are six of my favourites! The Pokémon one was insane!
https://youtu.be/hTPIs370dPM

2024-06-21 23:07:45

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lol what a ridiculous overreaction. 🤣
there was a type-o in the URL. I've updated it to this one:
https://gift.nebula.tv/notjustbikes
This now links to the correct page.

2024-06-21 21:40:49

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use this link:
https://go.nebula.tv/gift?ref=notjustbikes

2024-06-21 21:13:03

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yes, we know.
It was basically "free" to turn on after the work was done to implement iDEAL.
It's still a functioning payment system so It would've been stupid not to enable it. Why would we not?

2024-06-21 18:54:25

Nebula gift cards are now available ... and you can pay for them with iDEAL or Giropay!
I have had so many people tell me over the years that they would sign up to Nebula, but only if they could do it vai iDEAL. Now that it's available, I am expecting half of the Netherlands to sign up by the end of the weekend.
iDEAL and Giropay are NOT yet available for normal subscriptions, but you can "gift" yourself a subscription if you'd like!
More info is here:
https://gift.nebula.tv/?ref=notjustbikes
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/656/124/306/475/770/original/ef25af463e56ed96.png

2024-06-20 12:57:51

omg Chuck from Strong Towns wrote the best smackdown of a "why don't you just let people live the way they want to live" replyguy that I've ever seen.
It's so good that I'm willing to link to the Bad Site so that people can read it:
https://x.com/clmarohn/status/1803131603033690537
Chuck has SO much more patience for this bullshit than I do.
I guess that's why he's the advocate and I'm just the angry YouTuber.
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/649/047/094/764/595/original/3ea6565842aa927e.png
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/649/051/291/650/923/original/381218ec5c2505ed.png

2024-06-19 21:06:11

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https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2021/12/2/how-do-you-actually-fix-a-stroad

2024-06-19 20:50:19

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yes, I showed this location in Nieuwleusen as an example if that in my "stroads" video:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/SYe5MqVrcpmbgCLK9?g_st=ac
But this requires a lot of space and it's expensive. The real truth is that the US and Canada are massively overbuilt. The tax base is too thin and everything is too sprawled.
Not all of it can survive, which is why Strong Towns recommends letting most stroads die a natural death. They're lined with disposable buildings. They never should have been built in the first place.

2024-06-19 20:29:32

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yep, exactly. There's no use throwing good money at bad investments. Better to improve everything else and let the stroads die a natural death (unless they go through the middle of the city, of course).

2024-06-19 12:35:30

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so true about people being blind to it. I've seen some ignorant assholes online claiming that I just "gave up" on Canada without trying. Meanwhile, I was an advocate for years.
Congratulation on getting that bike lane extension! That took a while, but less time than the original Bloor bike lane (since the 70s)!
My wife and I were deeply in involved in the advocacy to make the Danforth portion happen.
These things do have a habit of picking up momentum. I hope you can keep it up!

2024-06-19 11:25:39

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there's a book called The Sprawl Repair Manual that I always wanted to make a video about, but I couldn't get the copyrights to the images.
https://sprawlrepair.com/home/
In part of it, the author talks about how to turn suburban malls into town centres, and then connect them together (and to downtown) by transit.
I think this is the best hope that suburbia has got.
Trying to urbanise the giant stroads of suburbia is basically a non-starter. There are so many other low-hanging fruits.

2024-06-19 11:04:58

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yeah, that sounds about right.
Any city can be fixed, given enough money and political will.
I just believe that most American cities will take generations before they are significantly improved.
Although, I'm also not totally convinced that all American cities are actually improving.
If it takes you 10 years to get a few bike lanes, but in that time, 10,000 acres of new car-dependent suburbia is built on the periphery, is that really considered "moving forward?"

2024-06-19 09:02:49

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small incremental changes.
In particular, nobody lives there anymore due to decades of exclusionary zoning prohibiting residential. It would be foolish to pedestrianize a street that nobody lives near.
They implement what they can and they don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

2024-06-19 09:01:30

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None of this will be easy. It will take decades of hard work and political will.
I've been branded a "doomer" for saying this, but it's just cold hard facts. Any city can be repaired, but it will require a LOT of work.
Most US and Canadian cities will take generations to repair.
Meanwhile, other cities are farther ahead, and improving faster, so if you are able to move somewhere better, you should.
If not, join Strong Towns today. Your grandkids will thank you.
https://strongtowns.org
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/642/462/124/929/483/original/2744d94d8256adeb.png

2024-06-19 08:47:17

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Let the suburban stroads rot away!
Sidewalks and bike lanes are pointless without better land use. Smaller parking lots. Slower speeds. Dedicated transit lanes. Retail near the street.
These can't be fixed except at extreme financial cost, opportunity cost, and political capital.
Focus on resuscitating the traditional neighbourhoods (as mentioned above) and maybe, if you're successful, your grandkids can redesign the stroads. Or better yet, turn them back to farmland!
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/642/411/010/712/614/original/53987ddd9a3b9bf8.png

2024-06-19 08:38:04

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Do this to every traditional neighbourhood that hasn't been bulldozed.
Relaxing zoning laws in these places to allow mixed-use development.
Add protected bicycle lanes connecting these places.
Increase transit service (even buses) to every 10 minutes between these neighbourhoods and to popular office parks.
Turn old malls into mixed-use developments with high-quality transit connections to those traditional neighbourhoods.
Build great places where people actually want to be.
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/642/374/867/348/853/original/79f463cfe9ff4531.png

2024-06-19 08:31:18

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Strong Towns advocates for incremental improvements.
Fundamentally, it makes more sense to focus on "downtown", or whatever traditional development still exists in your town.
Making a small change rejuvenate a traditional walkable neighbourhood will always result in better payoffs than any stroad repair.
See Dundas Street in Fake London.
This cost less than any stroad repair, but will do way more to improve your city than adding bike lanes to 5 lane stroad.
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/642/341/854/792/204/original/3ef55c3fd07a77a2.png

2024-06-19 08:24:36

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This is why Strong Towns does NOT advocate for redesigning stroads like this. There's no point.
It will cost a bunch of money and political capital and those "bike lanes" will be used by only a handful of people (just like on Wonderland Road), which will only serve as something to point to and say, "see? nobody bikes here!"
Chuck's article, "How do you actually fix a stroad?" is useful here.
The answer: you shouldn't.
So what should you do?
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2021/12/2/how-do-you-actually-fix-a-stroad

2024-06-19 08:21:59

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Dave mentions some typical improvements that can be made to a stroad like this, given the political constraints.
The end result of this kind of redesign looks something like this photo.
This is Wonderland Road in Fake London.
Is this better than the stroad in the post above? Yes.
Is it good? Absolutely not.
And the problem is, streets and roads are only redesigned about every 30 years.
So this is it. This is all you're getting for at least a generation.
Lipstick on a pig.
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/642/302/416/905/282/original/4dbf3ea492254953.png

2024-06-19 08:17:09

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None of the following is critical of City Beautiful: he is a great guy and his video is completely accurate, as usual.
In fact, there are several things in his video that are just *too* accurate.
When redesigning a stroad, you can't take space from cars (except in rare situations), you can't change intersections, and you can't move any utilities.
You need to plan around the scraps left over on a stroad designed for drivers.
So the ultimately, the solution will be a big compromise.
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/642/292/639/202/941/original/db1b6101357edb57.png

2024-06-19 08:10:15

CityBeautiful recently released a great video about how to fix stroads.
It's accurate, and lines up exactly with the advocacy that my wife and I were doing 10 years ago, right down to using StreetMix to redesign streets.
It's also extremely depressing and makes me glad I don't live in North America anymore.
https://youtu.be/1V679pkDl6k

2024-06-15 17:48:12

I was catching up on some older Scientific American articles and came across this one from March.
It's an article about the problems caused by car dependency, and it hits all of the important parts of a solution (zoning, regulation exceptions for SUVs, free parking, etc).
There are no surprises to anyone who has been orange-pilled, but it's still nice to see this kind of article in the more mainstream press.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/changing-car-culture-can-benefit-our-health-and-our-planet/

2024-06-14 22:40:17

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thank you!

2024-06-14 16:56:20

The latest episode of the Urbanist Agenda with @npub1076…8750 is now available on all podcast platforms!
We talk about level boarding for trains: why you should want it, and why it doesn't happen more often.
By the end of this conversation you'll realise that level boarding isn't a "nice to have", is something we need to demand for all transit projects everywhere.
https://youtu.be/BUOFPaidfA0

2024-06-14 12:32:34

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amazing. Thanks!

2024-06-13 15:05:29

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Yes, that is part of what the podcast he's referring to was about!
https://nebula.tv/agenda/all-trains-need-level-boarding-with-gareth-dennis

2024-06-12 12:59:54

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Thanks!

2024-06-11 21:06:43

My conversation with @npub1076…8750 is now live (early) on Nebula!
We talk about level boarding for trains: why you should want it, and why it doesn't happen more often.
By the end of this conversation you'll realise that level boarding isn't a "nice to have", is something we need to demand for all transit projects everywhere.
https://nebula.tv/agenda/all-trains-need-level-boarding-with-gareth-dennis/

2024-06-11 18:12:24

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the dishwasher king has returned! 👑

2024-06-11 16:11:43

Finally getting back to the Urbanist Agenda after my trip to Japan. It's been so long that I can't even do the intro correctly anymore. 🤣
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/598/860/400/068/214/original/a68379875a5cb68f.mp3

2024-06-10 17:38:13

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thanks!

2024-06-10 16:29:37

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yeah, you're doing it correctly. You got inspired, and found Strong Towns and other content relevant to you.
You're not expecting the first urbanist YouTuber you've found to make every urbanist video on every topic you want to watch.

2024-06-10 15:28:29

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sadly at my scale it's nearly impossible to just ignore the bad ones.
With an audience of over a million, the signal to noise ratio is so bad that the good comments get completely buried.
That's why I try to avoid reading comments entirely.

2024-06-10 15:25:03

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this is so true.
I've been consciously trying to avoid American content online for a few years now and it's not easy. But my recommendations are so much better as a result.
Tangentially, I am so fed up with Americans who expect me to make videos telling them how to fix US cities.
Like, almost all urbanist content online is about the US already, and you want ME to make MORE of it? A Canadian who lives in Europe? Don't ask me! Go bug the >95% of urbanist creators who are American! 🤣

2024-06-10 15:05:50

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I have no plans to visit Brazil. I'd love to see some urbanist content made by Brazilians though!

2024-06-10 15:01:39

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lol, so far, no.
Most of the extreme ignorance and virtue signaling comes from Americans, and Mastodon already has a much more European and international audience.
And since I blocked a bunch of American servers, including some American "urbanist" and "cyclist" servers, my feed here has been great!
Er, I mean ... Mastodon is too "eurocentric"! How awful! 🤣

2024-06-10 14:56:54

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thanks!
I agree that these videos should be made by people in those countries.
I never lived in Japan, but I've been there about a dozen times for business trips, which is why I think my Shinjuku video was so accurate and well-recieved by people who actually live there.
Unfortunately almost all urbanist YouTubers are Americans, and there are various socioeconomic and cultural explanations for that.
I link to international content often but sadly there's not a lot of it out there

2024-06-10 14:48:36

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lol. Yeah, these people, plus the conspiracy theorists who have convinced themselves that I only talk about this stuff because of the fat cheques I recieve from the WEF and George Soros.
Still waiting on those cheques ...

2024-06-10 14:43:30

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I know, right?
I should move every six months so that people consuming free content on the Internet don't have to take the trouble to go watch a video from another channel about a location that they prefer.

2024-06-10 14:40:32

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it's legitimately hilarious how I still get comments (and even emails!) from people who feel the need to "correct" me on my flags in my winter cycling video.
As if I wouldn't know the flags of Belgium and the Netherlands when I lived in both countries.
Or how I could somehow use the wrong flag from Wikipedia when the country name is literally in the filename.
The best part is that they themselves only ever notice one of them. 🤣
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/592/836/911/688/459/original/801a00c1ed3ff311.png

2024-06-10 14:32:05

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Anyway, if you're ever curious as to why I hate comments, it should be clear by now. 😁
Unfortunately it's basically impossible for me to avoid reading any comments about my videos, because they show up in the most unlikely places (like under completely unrelated articles on all kinds of websites).
I'd have to avoid reading anything on the Internet at all.
Actually, now that I think about it, that might not be such a bad idea. 🤔

2024-06-10 14:28:55

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Of course, these people don't actually care about my content. Calling my channel "eurocentric" is a virtue signal for them.
"Look at how worldly I am to consider people outside of Europe! 😇 Unlike this *eurocentric* YouTuber 🙄"
These people deserve the mountain of urbanist AI slop content being uploaded to YouTube every second.
Those channels aren't eurocentric!
They cover every topic on Wikipedia that can easily be summarized by ChatGPT! 🤦‍♂️

2024-06-10 14:23:03

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I live in Europe. I experience Europe. I go back to Canada once a year to see family.
That's not "eurocentric", those are my regular lived experiences.
I am not going to travel out of Europe (and Canada) regularly.
That's not not a realistic thing financially, but it's also completely irresponsible from a climate perspective, and wouldn't be fair to my family either.
And it bugs me because these comments show absolutely no respect for me, or the creative process behind my videos.

2024-06-10 14:16:49

It's annoying when people complain that my content is "too eurocentric". And after making my Shinjuku station video a lot of people are saying that "finally" there's some "non-eurocentric" content. 🙄
I make videos about MY experiences in cities. I don't summarize a bunch of facts you could easily find on Wikipedia, Twitter, or news articles, and then lazily recite it over stock footage.
I actually GO to places, experience them in person, and over 90% of my videos is footage I filmed myself.
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/592/742/813/038/158/original/d45d8107958c10bf.jpg

2024-06-09 18:35:50

My latest video is now live on YouTube!
Nearly 3 million people pass through Shinjuku Station every day, which is an insane number. But despite the massive number of people transported, the area around Shinjuku supports some great urbanism, with vibrant street life and lots of independent shops
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dKiEY0UOtA

2024-06-08 10:27:43

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who, Richie Hawton? He was born in the UK and then moved to Canada when he was a kid.

2024-06-08 01:16:33

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Also the best techno in Detroit was always Richie Hawtin (Plastikman), but he's not a Detroiter either – he's Canadian. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDBcxEMHNMs

2024-06-08 01:08:02

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I never would have guessed that this is the lyric, because I've been to Detroit a lot, especially when I was young.
My cousin lived in Windsor and we went to Detroit often.
It was a great (though often sketchy) place to go to raves and concerts. And Detroit techno is great.
So I could understand how someone might "love this city," but let's be clear: Detroit was not a "lovely city," especially in the 90s.
https://cdn.masto.host/socialnotjustbikescom/media_attachments/files/112/578/319/120/714/293/original/be258ef21b307fe1.png

2024-06-08 01:01:26

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The sample was pulled from a 1999 song by Matthew Dear and Disco D entitled, "Hands Up For Detroit".
It's very clear in this version that the sample is "Our Lovely City."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb6XmFUFC18

2024-06-08 00:58:46

My world was shattered today.
There's this song, "Put Your Hands Up For Detroit." It was really big in 2006/2007.
I discovered today that it wasn't written by a Detroiter, or even an American. Fedde Le Grand is Dutch.
But what's worse? The lyric isn't "I Love This City," it's "Our Lovely City."
HOW?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_VOnuBXjb4

2024-06-05 10:24:50

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Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-njb-shinjuku-105591952

2024-06-05 10:19:13

My first video from my trip to Japan is now up on Patreon and Nebula.
I visited the world's busiest train station, Shinjuku station in Tokyo. This station transports 3 MILLION people every day!
Shinjuku station is really interesting because it isn’t just a ridiculously efficient transportation hub, it’s also an excellent example of how an effective train station can make the surrounding neighbourhood truly great.
https://nebula.tv/videos/notjustbikes-i-visited-the-worlds-busiest-train-station

2024-06-03 23:07:06

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that thumbnail cracks me up every time.
Welcome back to civilization!

2024-06-02 17:48:34

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yes of course he does. He's American. That's what I'm saying.
Americans are exposed to so much propaganda about cars that I don't care at all about their options on transportation. They're incapable of thinking outside of a a car-centric view of the world. Even American urbanists carry with them a deep-seated car-supremacist view of the world.

2024-06-02 09:16:31

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I don't take transportation advice from Americans. 😉

2024-06-01 08:06:40

We're on the Master Hellish livestream now, raising money for the World Cancer Research Fund!
Come join the chat and watch some trains!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M_OPl5Vz_4

2024-05-31 10:24:33

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Full information about the stream is here:
https://masterhellish.net/midtriple24

2024-05-31 10:23:05

Tomorrow (Saturday July 1st) I will be joining Master Hellish and his friends for a network game of OpenTTD!
I'll be on the stream for the first game, from about 1000 to 1400 CET.
It's a fundraising stream for the Cancer Research Fund, so come join the chat and donate for a good cause!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M_OPl5Vz_4