This morning, Ronald and his wife Bea graciously hosted us for some treats before we set out on our ride. Taking a roundabout way out of town, we followed bike paths over an enormous highway, along a large canal, and into the countryside. A portion of our trip was on a road that had two permeable bike lanes and one lane for car traffic, but allows two-way travel for all vehicles. To me, this signifies that all vehicles are welcome on the road, but that we must once again slow down and negotiate space. It’s a lovely road to ride, so can you really fault the other modes for enjoying the space?
We took a long break, swimming and relaxing, before hopping on our bikes and heading to Houten. The bike path brought us through beautiful pastures and a small town celebrating their 50th birthday. Along the way, Catherine asked me which of the cities (Copenhagen, Malmö, or Utrecht) I could see myself living in. While there is so much I love about Copenhagen, I really like the size of Utrecht, the flow and prioritization of biking, and the energy of the city.
We arrived in Houten, a city planned around bike use. While you can access houses and penetrate parts of the city with a car, the city is designed for bikes. In areas that cars are allowed, cars are still reminded that they are guests, while bikes are the permanent residents. Houten has a number of different building styles, which, for me, prevents it from feeling too Stepford-like. Houten has two city centers, and houses 50,000 people. There is no social or subsidized housing, though, so residents do come from a fairly similar economic status. Houten has two train stations that allow for easy commuting, as well as an efficient bike route that will get you to Utrecht in about 20 minutes.
Seeing Houten made me realize the potential for newly developed areas. While those are perhaps in the minority compared to established places that need improvement, there is such significant opportunity in building from the ground up. If we must develop an entirely new area instead of increasing density elsewhere, the least we can do is prioritize bikes in that area.
Leaving Houten, we quickly made our way to the pancake house. We had a great time, and a super fun ride home as a group.
