JacMacJan 7, 2023
Lior Steinberg 

Whenever they tell you a change is impossible, show them Utrecht.

An urban freeway with many lanes can become a green park with a beautiful canal. Instead of a car sewer, the water flows.

Catharijnesingel, Utrecht. Winner European Urban Public Space Award 2022 by OKRA landschapsarchitecten

https://www.archdaily.com/992550/okra-receives-the-european-urban-public-space-award-2022

OKRA Receives the European Urban Public Space Award 2022

The Dutch firm OKRA landschapsarchitecten has been awarded the European Prize for Urban Public Space 2022.

ArchDaily
Jan 6, 2023 at 3:03pmWeb
Show threadDeterminerik   🇵🇸Jan 6, 2023
@LiorSteinberg historically, it used to be a canal. They drained and paved it to make way for cars, and ultimately came to regret that decision .
Show threadBret MogilefskyJan 6, 2023
@LiorSteinberg "car sewer" is the best description I've ever seen for this kind of underpass. There's one right in the center of the Hillsdale intersection in San Mateo, CA. The intersection is completely unusable for pedestrians or bikes. You leave a little bit of your soul behind every time you drive through it.
Show threadCian Verati Jan 6, 2023
@LiorSteinberg I'm crying. This gives me hope. Thank you!
Show threadehmil_ustabilJan 6, 2023
@LiorSteinberg Lots of cities paved over their canals doing the last century, so it always makes me smile when they undo that mistake.
Show threadFuzzbizzJan 6, 2023
@LiorSteinberg but not until I get a place!
Show threadAliceJan 6, 2023
@LiorSteinberg Wonderful!!!!
Show threadPatrick McLaughlinJan 7, 2023

@LiorSteinberg

Also Portland, OR. Rather similar transformation.

Show threadMark BrittenJan 7, 2023
@LiorSteinberg more places should be doing things like this.
Show threadOlivier ForgetJan 7, 2023
@LiorSteinberg Utrecht is just a lovely city.
Show threadDanibalJan 7, 2023
@LiorSteinberg also the cars can still drive on the right side of the canal. But the traffic is much less. Also Utrecht has a great bicycle road network. Basically it makes no sense using the car in the city anymore when bike are much quicker and more convenient.
Show threadBinary Large OctopusJan 7, 2023
@Danibal @LiorSteinberg That's the way to go.
Show threadPetra SchultenJan 8, 2023
@Danibal @LiorSteinberg
And even if you don't want to cycle: public transport is great, too, and you have bus lanes, so you go past most of the car traffic jams. I love the Netherlands.
Show threadAral BalkanJan 7, 2023
@LiorSteinberg This might just be one of the most hopeful things I’ve seen in a while. Thanks :)
Show threadMark R. StonemanJan 7, 2023
@LiorSteinberg @jasongoroncy That kind of change happened decades ago in the center of Munich too, when they replaced car-filled roads in key ares with pedestrian zones.
Show threadJason GoroncyJan 7, 2023
@markstoneman @LiorSteinberg Sounds wonderful! (And, for a Melburnian living amongst what feels like an increasing amount of concrete, almost impossible to imagine. Australians are obsessed with cars.) Seeds of hope.
Show threadWendy NatherJan 7, 2023
@LiorSteinberg @hal_pomeranz I was just in Utrecht a couple of months ago and stood on a corner during “rush hour,” watching the endless ballet of people on bicycles. It was beautiful.
Show threadStrappo HughesJan 7, 2023
@LiorSteinberg amazing transformation. Wonderful.
Show threadWolfehJan 7, 2023
@LiorSteinberg Putting the canal back in was an excellent decision. It's a shame that much of North America is still stuck in that mindset that not only puts cars first but nearly fetishizes them.
Show threadBmanNYCJan 7, 2023

@LiorSteinberg

I love this because it is awesome.

But it makes me wonder what it would take for #NYC to do this to the FDR or BQE.

Show threadTravis F WJan 7, 2023
@LiorSteinberg they even improved the weather
Show threadknezek.art Jan 8, 2023
@LiorSteinberg That is breathtakingly hopeful. 😍
Show threadCharles RoperJan 8, 2023
@LiorSteinberg Wow!
Show threadNicole RoedJan 8, 2023
@LiorSteinberg Detroit made a new improvement too #detroit #dequindrecut #urbandesign
Show threadJonathan WrightJan 8, 2023

@LiorSteinberg

What an amazing transformation. Where there's a will there's a way.

Sadly so many only have their cars in mind, and can't see there are benefits in phasing them out for good.

#DitchTheCar #Wellbeing #Nature

Show threadJoost van Baal-IlićJan 8, 2023
@LiorSteinberg watch out readers: the water one is _after_, _not_ before the car one :)
Show threadWolfgang FeistJan 8, 2023

@LiorSteinberg

Isn't that beautiful?

Show threadTheZoq2Jan 8, 2023
@LiorSteinberg Whoa, I have always assumed that those beautiful canals in utrecht have been there for ages
Show thread𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐄 🌼Jan 8, 2023
@LiorSteinberg Yes, this transformation shows again once more why Utrecht is one of my favorite cities!
Show threadGbennJan 8, 2023
@LiorSteinberg Im kleineren Maßstab fand es auch in Leer - Ostfriesland statt. Dort wurde dieses Unglück aber gleich von vornherein verhindert. Es gab keinen Durchgangsverkehr. Die Niederländer liebe ich für ihre Kraft gute Dinge durchzusetzen.
Show threaddaïglaJan 8, 2023
@LiorSteinberg Hi Schaut ihr euch eigentlich an, was ihr da retootet? Auf der Seite findet mein U-Block 13 (dreizehn!) tracker e.a.
Show threadMike MorpheusJan 8, 2023
@LiorSteinberg I wish I could star this 1000 times 🥹
Show threadBardnetJan 8, 2023

@LiorSteinberg

I looked it up on Google Earth, some time ago

https://twitter.com/Bardnet/status/1457409659745312779

Arheddis Varkenjaab 💉💉 on Twitter

“@iamcais @googleearth Rotated and moved slightly north”

Twitter
Show threadIsidoroJan 8, 2023
@LiorSteinberg this is wonderful !
Show threadMalkypatJan 9, 2023
@LiorSteinberg Fantastic ⭐
Show threadBörzel 🛡️Jan 10, 2023
@LiorSteinberg wow didn't know that. That's amazing!
Thanks for sharing!
Show threadPaolo RedaelliJan 10, 2023
@LiorSteinberg
Once upon a time goods, especially heavy ones were moved with boats in canals 😀
#Milan also had many of them but they sadly buried a lot of them in the sixties…
@stramargio
Show threadKealohaJan 10, 2023
@LiorSteinberg one of my best friends lives here. It is remarkable what this city has done and continues to.
Show threadbrewdog1950Jun 22, 2023

@LiorSteinberg

Brilliant.