Life is better on a bike

Blog overview

Just hop on your bike and go. May is National Bike Month! But in the Netherlands, cycling is such an ordinary activity that the Dutch themselves don’t realize how special it is. They leave the advocacy to ‘new eyes’ from abroad, like the Canadian couple Chris and Melissa Bruntlett. For the John Adams they wrote a five-part blog based on their new book ‘Curbing Traffic’.

The Age-Friendly City

By Chris & Melissa Bruntlett

June 24, 2021

  As we get older, many of us aspire to the same ideals: To enjoy old age from the comfort of the home we’ve built for as long as our bodies and minds will allow. We save for retirement to reduce financial worry, set up systems with family and friends to take care of each …...

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The Prosperous City

By Chris & Melissa Bruntlett

June 17, 2021

  No matter the country, the connection between access to opportunity and economic prosperity is intrinsic. A population should be able to easily access housing, education, employment, health care, shops, and essential services. Despite this recognition, a car-dominant focus overlooks the negative impact this has on almost everyone, particularly those of lower incomes. Taking into …...

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The Accessible City

By Chris & Melissa Bruntlett

June 10, 2021

  Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a reccurring theme appeared every time a city suggested removing on-street parking in favor of low-car environments with extended sidewalks, pop-up bike-lanes, and patios; all in an effort to accommodate physical distancing and safer movement through its streets. Namely, the negative impact that would have on the disabled community: creating …...

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The Feminist City

By Chris & Melissa Bruntlett

June 3, 2021

  In the Netherlands, 56% of cyclists are women. This is not, as many like to purport, because Dutch women are born on bicycles, or that somehow, they are more confident, take more risks, or are in any way superior. Rather, the female cycling rates are so high because every Dutch city, town, and village …...

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The Child-Friendly City

By Chris & Melissa Bruntlett

May 27, 2021

  Emigrating to a new country is a difficult decision for anyone, and we were fully aware that uprooting our nine- and twelve-year-old children from the lives they had known since birth would come with its own set of challenges. But to give our children a freedom and independence we found impossible in our car-dominated …...

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Everything in life is better on a bike

By Tracy Metz

May 20, 2021

  “Ask a Dutch person why they cycle so much, and they’ll shrug: ‘It’s just in our culture’; oblivious to the vast infrastructure networks built to make it easy. Ask an American why they drive so much, and they’ll do the same. First we shape our streets; then our streets shape us.” This was a …...

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