One of the things I love about Amsterdam is how the city develops and builds transportation infrastructure (e.g. bike parking) that encourages people to bike and/or utilize mass transportation. Everyone knows that cycling is a way of life in The Netherlands (there is no "cycling culture" here - biking is an integral part of society), but I continue to be surprised at how progressive the urban planning actually is. Last week a new metro line opened (full disclosure - it was 7 years behind schedule due to some complications due to water from the canals) and this week I read that our neighborhood (aka Frans Halsburt) is in the process of going car-free. A few of our neighbors have already reappropriated some of the parking spots and installed picnic tables, playground equipment and bike parking spots (despite increased bike parking, there is a massive shortage of bike parking spots in Amsterdam). It's a really neat neighborhood in the middle of a beautiful and surprisingly green city.
The pictures below are taken from this article. The blue star is our spot on the map, with The Heineken Brewery just out of frame on the bottom.
