Skip to content

Amsterdam Removed Parking — and the City Bloomed

The transformation of the neighborhood looks amazing
Amsterdam Removed Parking — and the City Bloomed

On my recent swing to The Netherlands, I definitely planned on following up on the news that the cycling haven would be removing from 10,000 to 11,000 parking spacesfrom the city’s core.

I really only planned a very short 90-second video, but I realized this story was worth so much more. I got to talk to some amazing folks, including Zeeger Ernsting, a City Councilman for GroenLinks (Green Party), who discussed how the initiative came about. Ernsting advised me to check out the Frans Halsbuurt neighborhood, where an entire grid of streets now has virtually no parking, except for loading spaces (an extremely good idea!) and a few spaces for the disabled.

The transformation of the neighborhood looks amazing on the face of it — but is even more stark when you look back at the Google street view from 2012. Click forward year by year and you will see car parking slowly evaporate. As dramatic and lovely as this film makes it seem I must advise you: it is even more lovely, lush and livable. If you have a chance, go there. See it for yourself.

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog California

OpEd: Separating Substance from False Solutions, E-bike and E-moto Activity in Sacramento 

Bob Mittelstaedt
April 13, 2026

Monday’s Headlines

April 13, 2026

Can This Tool Predict Where Your City’s Next Car Crash Will Happen?

April 12, 2026

L.A. Bus Lane Enforcement Camera Citations Generated Nearly $20 Million Last Year

April 10, 2026

The Week in Short Videos

April 10, 2026
See all posts