Agenda 2030’s 15-minute Cities Being Built in the Netherlands

by Rhoda Wilson | The Exposé

What does life look like in 15-minute cities that have already been realised in the Netherlands? How can we recognise the transformation of our cities into smart cities and, in particular, how can we prevent it? Dutch activist Maartje van den Berg discusses this in a recent interview with KLA.

Last week alternative news channel KLA interviewed Maartje van den Berg to discuss “smart cities” and 15-minute cities in Holland.

“These so-called ‘smart cities’ and ‘15-minute cities’ of ours [in The Netherlands] are being sold to us as being ‘green’ and ‘healthy’.  And at the same time, people should live in their own neighbourhoods and be happy being in them where everything is in their own surroundings and you don’t need to go out.  And if you need a car, because they are made car-free zones, and if you need to go out [of your neighbourhood] you’d better share a car with somebody else.  They’ve made hubs outside cities where you can share a car or share bicycles,” she said.

This is not only being planned, she explained, it is already being implemented in small towns and municipalities all over Holland.  And in 2025, in three months, Amsterdam is going to be introducing “zero carbon emissions” zones. Where “diesel trucks and vans are not allowed to enter our cities,” van den Berg said.  At the same time, they are building hubs where shared cars will be stored and accessed.

Last year a vehicle-free zone was trialled in Amsterdam. For six weeks, the major road in Amsterdam was blocked with physical barriers to stop vehicles from entering or leaving Amsterdam.  “A lot of people got really annoyed but also really alarmed because ambulances were not able to pass through and a lot of accidents happened,” she explained. Read Full Article >