ABSTRACT
Chain mobility came to the attention of policymakers in the Netherlands when public transport was given a role in the transition from a car-dependent society to a more sustainable system. This chapter, based on primary sources, shows that cyclists in the Netherlands have benefited from a spatial policy since 1960. The naturally linear Randstad (Western Netherlands), with compact cities along the main railroad (“Old Line”), was consistently reinforced as a spatial development model. Municipalities stimulated urbanization near railway stations and built in high density. Proximity, rather than accessibility, became the guiding principle, prohibiting, for example, large-scale retail trade outside built-up areas
Around 1990, spatial and mobility planning was integrated. Chain mobility, with an important role for bicycles and trains, could become an attractive alternative to car mobility. It was understood that stations had to become well-functioning hubs. The bicycle increased the area of influence of stations considerably. This gave the Netherlands bicycle-based 15-minute cities. However, in city outskirts, villages and rural areas, accessibility by public transport and bicycle remains limited. Construction of motorways in the Netherlands followed the growth of car traffic for many years and still provides favorable conditions for car use.
