Not Just Bikes | Suburbs that don't Suck - Streetcar Suburbs (Riverdale, Toronto) @NotJustBikes | Uploaded May 2021 | Updated October 2024, 1 week ago.
Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/not-just-bikes-suburbs-that-don-t-suck-streetcar-suburbs-riverdale-toronto
Car-dependent suburbs suck. But that doesn't mean that all suburbs suck. It is possible to build suburbs that don't suck, and the US and Canada used to design great suburbs all the time. But even though these pre-war suburbs are loved by many people, and in huge demand, they're illegal to build today.
Special thanks to @DaveLikesBikes for most of the Riverdale footage used in this video: twitter.com/DaveLikesBikes
Sign up to Nebula and watch ad-free and sponsor-free: go.nebula.tv/notjustbikes
Patreon: patreon.com/notjustbikes
Twitter: twitter.com/notjustbikes
Reddit: reddit.com/r/notjustbikes
One-time donations: notjustbikes.com/donate
NJB Live (my bicycle livestream channel):
youtube.com/channel/UC9v57F4xz46KaDsvWfCv8yw
---
References and Image Credits
High North Cannabis Testing
highnorth.com
Suburban Space and the City of Rome: Liminality Fluidity and Differentiation
https://digitalworks.union.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1208&context=theses
Improving Modern Suburbs with lessons learnt from an Old NJ Town
Alan Fisher - The Armchair Urbanist
youtube.com/watch?v=dVeSiWTU74s
Pacific Electric Railway cars piled atop one another at junkyard on Terminal Island, Calif., 1956
By Los Angeles Times - http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0002tqg9, Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56225649
Riverdale Population Density
areavibes.com/toronto-on/north+riverdale/demographics
Other Population Density Figures from:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaughan
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam-Zuid
Toronto / E01 Region Housing Prices from MLS (not publicly available):
realtor.ca/mls
How Wide Should a Neighborhood Street Be? – Part 1
PlannersWeb
plannersweb.com/2013/09/wide-neighborhood-street-part-1
On-street parking: good or bad?
Urban Kchoze
urbankchoze.blogspot.com/2014/02/on-street-parking-good-or-bad.html
NACTO Urban Street Design Guide
Lane Width
nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/street-design-elements/lane-width
London, Ontario Zoning Map
london.ca/business-development/zoning
What If We Rated Schools by Walkability?
usa.streetsblog.org/2014/01/03/what-if-we-rated-schools-by-walkability
Highschool Walkscore
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cjzOkz3JiH6CS0_4KRTgVQ73OvUdAIeZWpeQs_MERvI/edit#gid=1
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN
Journal of Environmental Psychology
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494402902434
Do Minimum-Lot-Size Regulations Limit Housing Supply in Texas?
mercatus.org/system/files/gray-minimum-lot-size-mercatus-research-v3.pdf
Minimum-Lot-Size Regulations Mean Less Housing
forbes.com/sites/adammillsap/2019/05/08/minimum-lot-size-regulations-mean-less-housing
Toronto’s two front doors issue pits neighbourhood character against renters’ dignity, expert says
Toronto Star
thestar.com/news/gta/2019/04/14/torontos-two-front-doors-issue-pits-neighbourhood-character-against-renters-dignity-expert-says.html
Setbacks, Suburbs and the American Front Lawn
oldurbanist.blogspot.com/2011/05/setbacks-suburbs-and-american-front.html
Parking demand and zoning requirements for suburban multifamily housing
kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/metro/programs-projects/right-size-parking/pdf/willson-parking-demand-suburban.pdf
Scottsdale, AZ Zoning
library.municode.com/az/scottsdale/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=VOLII_APXBBAZOOR_ARTIXPALORE_S9.103PARE
Tustin, CA Zoning
library.municode.com/ca/tustin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=ART9LAUS_CH2ZO_PT2REDI_9223SIMIREDIR1
--
Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:05 Car-dependent suburbs suck
1:17 Suburbs are not the problem
2:15 Suburbs that don't suck are possible
3:20 Introduction to "Streetcar Suburbs"
4:05 About Riverdale
4:24 Why Riverdale is great
5:17 Walkability & schools of Riverdale
6:05 Shopping & Groceries
7:24 Storing your ugly metal boxes
7:47 Population density
8:24 High demand & housing prices
9:46 You can't build it: streets
11:07 You can't build it: zoning
11:46 You can't build it: schools
12:20 You can't build it: housing
13:00 You can't build it: lots & setbacks
14:23 You can't build it: parking
14:40 Conclusion & summary
16:16 Patreon shout-out
16:28 Outro
#suburbs #streetcarsuburbs #urbanplanning #riverdale
Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/not-just-bikes-suburbs-that-don-t-suck-streetcar-suburbs-riverdale-toronto
Car-dependent suburbs suck. But that doesn't mean that all suburbs suck. It is possible to build suburbs that don't suck, and the US and Canada used to design great suburbs all the time. But even though these pre-war suburbs are loved by many people, and in huge demand, they're illegal to build today.
Special thanks to @DaveLikesBikes for most of the Riverdale footage used in this video: twitter.com/DaveLikesBikes
Sign up to Nebula and watch ad-free and sponsor-free: go.nebula.tv/notjustbikes
Patreon: patreon.com/notjustbikes
Twitter: twitter.com/notjustbikes
Reddit: reddit.com/r/notjustbikes
One-time donations: notjustbikes.com/donate
NJB Live (my bicycle livestream channel):
youtube.com/channel/UC9v57F4xz46KaDsvWfCv8yw
---
References and Image Credits
High North Cannabis Testing
highnorth.com
Suburban Space and the City of Rome: Liminality Fluidity and Differentiation
https://digitalworks.union.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1208&context=theses
Improving Modern Suburbs with lessons learnt from an Old NJ Town
Alan Fisher - The Armchair Urbanist
youtube.com/watch?v=dVeSiWTU74s
Pacific Electric Railway cars piled atop one another at junkyard on Terminal Island, Calif., 1956
By Los Angeles Times - http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0002tqg9, Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56225649
Riverdale Population Density
areavibes.com/toronto-on/north+riverdale/demographics
Other Population Density Figures from:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaughan
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam-Zuid
Toronto / E01 Region Housing Prices from MLS (not publicly available):
realtor.ca/mls
How Wide Should a Neighborhood Street Be? – Part 1
PlannersWeb
plannersweb.com/2013/09/wide-neighborhood-street-part-1
On-street parking: good or bad?
Urban Kchoze
urbankchoze.blogspot.com/2014/02/on-street-parking-good-or-bad.html
NACTO Urban Street Design Guide
Lane Width
nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/street-design-elements/lane-width
London, Ontario Zoning Map
london.ca/business-development/zoning
What If We Rated Schools by Walkability?
usa.streetsblog.org/2014/01/03/what-if-we-rated-schools-by-walkability
Highschool Walkscore
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cjzOkz3JiH6CS0_4KRTgVQ73OvUdAIeZWpeQs_MERvI/edit#gid=1
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN
Journal of Environmental Psychology
sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494402902434
Do Minimum-Lot-Size Regulations Limit Housing Supply in Texas?
mercatus.org/system/files/gray-minimum-lot-size-mercatus-research-v3.pdf
Minimum-Lot-Size Regulations Mean Less Housing
forbes.com/sites/adammillsap/2019/05/08/minimum-lot-size-regulations-mean-less-housing
Toronto’s two front doors issue pits neighbourhood character against renters’ dignity, expert says
Toronto Star
thestar.com/news/gta/2019/04/14/torontos-two-front-doors-issue-pits-neighbourhood-character-against-renters-dignity-expert-says.html
Setbacks, Suburbs and the American Front Lawn
oldurbanist.blogspot.com/2011/05/setbacks-suburbs-and-american-front.html
Parking demand and zoning requirements for suburban multifamily housing
kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/metro/programs-projects/right-size-parking/pdf/willson-parking-demand-suburban.pdf
Scottsdale, AZ Zoning
library.municode.com/az/scottsdale/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=VOLII_APXBBAZOOR_ARTIXPALORE_S9.103PARE
Tustin, CA Zoning
library.municode.com/ca/tustin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=ART9LAUS_CH2ZO_PT2REDI_9223SIMIREDIR1
--
Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:05 Car-dependent suburbs suck
1:17 Suburbs are not the problem
2:15 Suburbs that don't suck are possible
3:20 Introduction to "Streetcar Suburbs"
4:05 About Riverdale
4:24 Why Riverdale is great
5:17 Walkability & schools of Riverdale
6:05 Shopping & Groceries
7:24 Storing your ugly metal boxes
7:47 Population density
8:24 High demand & housing prices
9:46 You can't build it: streets
11:07 You can't build it: zoning
11:46 You can't build it: schools
12:20 You can't build it: housing
13:00 You can't build it: lots & setbacks
14:23 You can't build it: parking
14:40 Conclusion & summary
16:16 Patreon shout-out
16:28 Outro
#suburbs #streetcarsuburbs #urbanplanning #riverdale
![Where the Bicycle was Invented (and Forgotten): Coventry [Guest Video]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Mxvk3KO8p20/hqdefault.jpg "Where the Bicycle was Invented (and Forgotten): Coventry [Guest Video]
Coventry - The City That Nearly Forgot The Bicycle
This special guest video was produced by Adam Tranter, the Bicycle Mayor for Coventry, in the UK.
Coventry holds an important place in the history of the bicycle. It is the city where both the penny-farthing, as well as the safety bicycle - the template for almost all modern bicycles - was invented.
In this short documentary, Adam explains the history of cycling in Coventry, and about the realities of cycling in Coventry today. Comparisons to Amsterdam and the Netherlands are provided.
This film will be shown as part of the Coventry Transport Museums new exhibition Gearing Up: From Saddle to Spoke online on Friday 12 March 2021. The exhibition (https://culturespacecoventry.com/gearing-up) – which it is hoped will open physically when the museum reopens – features over 80 cycles and celebrates the history, unique designs, and benefits of cycling.
You can find out more about Adam here: https://www.adamtranter.com or follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/adamtranter
00:00 Introduction
01:44 Coventrys Bicycle History
03:42 After The War
05:14 Carlton Reid Interview
06:46 People or cars?
07:29 The Safety Bicycle
10:43 The Netherlands with Orla Chennaoui
13:06 Whats next for Coventry?
14:56 Summary and Credits")
![Stroads are Ugly, Expensive, and Dangerous (and theyre everywhere) [ST05]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ORzNZUeUHAM/hqdefault.jpg "Stroads are Ugly, Expensive, and Dangerous (and theyre everywhere) [ST05]
Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/not-just-bikes-the-ugly-dangerous-and-inefficient-stroads-found-all-over-the-us-canada-st05
Stroads are streets that are designed like roads and in doing so, fail at being good at either one. They are too sprawling and hostile to be good streets, and they are too busy and complicated to be good roads. Stroads are inefficient, unsafe, expensive, and ugly.
This video introduces the concept of Stroads, and talks about why you will (almost) never find these kind of places in the Netherlands: because here all roads need to have a single purpose as either a motorway, connector road, or end-destination street.
The name stroad was invented by Strong Towns as a way to explain why road design in the US is fundamentally broken.
To donate to Strong Towns, visit: https://www.strongtowns.org/membership
Watch the rest of the Strong Towns series here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJp5q-R0lZ0_FCUbeVWK6OGLN69ehUTVa
Sign up to Nebula and watch ad-free and sponsor-free: https://go.nebula.tv/notjustbikes
Patreon: https://patreon.com/notjustbikes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/notjustbikes
Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/notjustbikes
One-time donations: https://notjustbikes.com/donate
NJB Live (my bicycle livestream channel):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9v57F4xz46KaDsvWfCv8yw
Thumbnail image by Edward Burtynsky (used with permission)
Check out the whole gallery of Oil photos:
https://www.edwardburtynsky.com/projects/photographs/oil
More reading
The Stroad
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/10/30/the-stroad
The Stroad [2013]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6jFnOnjzrk&t=110s
What is a Stroad? [2018]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ1HhLq-Huo
Example of a Stroad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK22JKFH5-8
References
Thumbnail image from Strong Towns:
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/3/1/whats-a-stroad-and-why-does-it-matter
City streets safer than suburban roads, study finds
https://whyy.org/articles/study-city-driving-often-safer-than-the-burbs/
Do Denser Neighborhoods Have Safer Streets? Population Density and Traffic Safety in the Philadelphia Region
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0739456X19845043
Vital Signs: Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention — United States and 19 Comparison Countries
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6526e1.htm?s_cid=mm6526e1_w
U.S. car crash deaths increased in 2020 despite pandemic
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/u-s-car-crash-deaths-increased-in-2020-despite-pandemic/ar-BB1cJzOb
Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First 9 Months (Jan–Sep) of 2020
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813053
60 Years of Urban Change
http://iqc.ou.edu/urbanchange
Designing to Move People
National Association of City Transportation Officials
https://nacto.org/publication/transit-street-design-guide/introduction/why/designing-move-people/
Principles of Sustainable Safety in the Netherlands
Vision Zero UK
https://visionzerouk.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/principles-of-sustainable-safety-in-the-netherlands/
More about the 3 types of street/road/highway in the Netherlands:
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erftoegangsweg
https://www.wegenwiki.nl/Erftoegangsweg
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gebiedsontsluitingsweg
https://www.wegenwiki.nl/Gebiedsontsluitingsweg
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroomweg
https://www.wegenwiki.nl/Stroomweg
Chapters
0:00 Introduction to Stroads
0:41 What is a road?
1:31 What is a street?
2:30 What is a stroad?
2:50 Stroads are bad streets
3:08 Stroads are hostile
4:05 Stroads are ugly
4:26 Stroads are bad roads
4:38 Stroads are inefficient
5:26 Stroads are unsafe
6:41 Stroads are expensive
8:43 How to fix our stroads
8:55 Turn a stroad into a road
9:26 Turn a stroad into a street
9:47 The Netherlands does it properly (as usual)
10:17 Stroomweg
10:55 Gebiedsontsluitingsweg
11:24 Erftoegangsweg
11:40 Streets in the Netherlands
12:26 Dutch street and road examples
13:28 A street becomes a road - Amsterdam
14:37 A street becomes a road - Amstelveen
16:31 Conclusion
17:39 Patreon shout-out
17:50 Outro")
