The Dutch are renowned for
their innovative and forward-thinking approach to urban design, and
consequently their livable, sustainable, and safe cities. Their urban spaces
are frequently organized along woonerven (living
streets), which prioritize cyclists and pedestrians over motorized traffic. The
corresponding impact upon the morphology of urban environments and streetscapes
in the Netherlands is profound. The prevalence of cycling contributes to
aesthetically pleasing streetscapes and encourages mixed-use, compact
development. The Dutch cycling lifestyle has become a model for other countries
looking to promote sustainable and healthy transportation options and offers a
blueprint for creating cities where cycling is not just a mode of transport but
a way of life.
The contrast with America’s
car-centric mindset—and with it our unsustainable way of life, urban sprawl,
and absence of walkable neighborhoods—could not be starker. A radical paradigm
shift is necessary if U.S. cities are to become more sustainable, but helping people
understand why prioritizing healthier modes of transportation and development
patterns has proven challenging.
The Netherlands Tourism Bureau has developed an AI app called Dutch Cycling Lifestyle that allows users to reimagine a street by replacing road space for cars
with pedestrian pathways, bike lanes, street furniture, landscaping, and/or
event-friendly spaces. The online app is accessible to anyone for free. You
simply type in an address or select the GPS option to choose a location to be
reimagined. The AI then uses Google Street View to create a “Dutch” version of
the scene, with four different results produced. The idea is to provide
users with a means to show what your own community would look like if planned with
happier and healthier streets in mind.
The
app’s default is to entirely abolish accommodations for automobiles in favor of
cobblestone-paved pedestrian pathways, tranquil bike lanes, and perfectly
manicured plant beds bursting with vibrant colors and fragrant blooms. Every
picture is worth a thousand words, which is certainly beneficial when it comes
to sharing grand ideas. The more compelling and attractive these images appear,
the higher the likelihood the ideas they illustrate might find traction.
Here
are some before and after examples of Eugene streetscapes I asked it to
reimagine:
West 11th Avenue reimagined.
I’m an advocate for AI imaging tools and their potential to help
designers save time and effort, particularly when it comes to communicating concepts
that are otherwise a challenge to effectively illustrate. That said, it’s clear
the Dutch Cycling Lifestyle app is glitchy. Some of the
results are positively bizarre, with wildly distorted perspectives that remind
me of stills from the Paris-folding sequence in Christopher Nolan’s movie Inception (Indeed,
the website includes a disclaimer that says “Seeing some unusual results? That’s
because our AI is new here and he’s still learning.”) Additionally, the app
translates images of Eugene low-density streetscapes into misleadingly pastoral
tableaus that ignore realities confoundingly at odds with the emulation of Dutch-style
development patterns.
Unfortunately, the current
shortcomings of Dutch Cycling Lifestyle undermine its utility. Playing
with Dutch Cycling Lifestyle may be fun, but its practical value is
extremely limited. It’s patently unrealistic to push a button and proclaim a
solution to an urban design problem can be the result. Generating pretty
pictures is far from enough. The challenge is vastly more complex, and the
solutions are not facile.
Changing a deeply ingrained
cultural norm takes determined leadership and political will. Resistance from
those who rely heavily on automobiles must be met with empathy and
understanding. Incremental transformations in infrastructure and policy are
necessary to shift a populace’s mindset. Such a shift will not happen
overnight, but with concerted effort and a focus on the benefits of sustainable
transportation, it will be possible to change the way people regard and use
roadways in North America. Public opinion can and will evolve once the
benefits of that change are evident.
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