I feel like a lot of people talk about good urban design but not enough people talk about how to convert existing car-dependent cities into walkable cities. If someone were to make a video about converting Houston to a walkable city I will be extremely impressed.
You start on empty lots with the buildings, and you wait the 400 years of piecemeal building until your city looks like Madrid. There. It isnt some magic fix of bike lanes and turning half your streets into pedestrian malls.
I think the answer isn't really a "how", it's a "how to convince" because the political dimension to it is so large. The literal how is that you provide a combination of car restriction and alternative mobility, and that could mean a metro, LRT/BRT, or separated bike lanes. And the restrictions can be layered beyond simple physical access - a lot of European cities have gone down the route of gating the central city behind permits or tolls. There's an element of cultural mythology to this, where what the culture says is possible becomes possible. Houston(and most of North America) have the issue of the mythology of freedom being tied to automobile freedom. We have to be convinced out of the idea that the cars are a strength, which is something urbanist RUclips is doing a good job of. I want robocars to actually work because they "transitify" cars - it's ownership that makes people possessive about car access, and if more people access automobiles as a service, they won't fight for lanes or parking to make the cost of ownership pay off, they will ask "what service gives me the most for my money". Which will in turn revitalize land use. And I suspect that in most sprawling cities, BRT expansion also presents an answer in that it "looks and feels" like car infrastructure and gets built in a similar way, so it fits better with our current practices; its downside comes with popularity, but popularity is a good problem to have, it means the induced demand flywheel starts favoring transit. Once you add the mobility, reduce the lane and parking space, and get people away from needing to own, the walkability can follow quickly.
@@jorgea5426 Definitely - central Madrid is looking great here, even as some of the exurbs like Alcobendas were flagged up as some of the most car-centric in Europe in CN's previous video. Shows that it doesn't have to be a stark binary choice.
I am really happy you included that segment of just street noise. It is really profound how much the backdrop of cars, police sirens, brakes, engines revving, stupid people drag racing has been embedded into my mind. Hearing only people touched something deep in my brain.
I kinda want to make a video just about city "noise" (which is mostly just cars) -- it's so important, and you don't even realize it until it's not there, I think.
How appropriate b/c as I was reading this some idiot was revving his motorcycle Edit: if Ur interested NJB has a video on this entitled "Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud"
Bicycle Dutch and Not Just Bikes have both covered people- and bike-only city noise in pedestrianized places in the Netherlands, plus--oh no!--trolleys rolling by, clanging their bells. Time for the CityNerd treatment as well in Spain!
Buildings block noise. My in-city townhouse was surprisingly quiet, especially compared to my current single-family city neighborhood during the pandemic, when lots of people seemed to decide to have very loud parties. Sirens do echo everywhere though. And over time the driving behavior definitely got worse, with people regularly speeding down the 8 foot wide one-way travel lane. Possibly because the main roads had been made less efficient to drive, with universal all-way stops instead of allowing one street to retain the right of way. There are always unintended consequences to actions and it's hard to get government to keep that in mind...
This speaks to me so much. My city has a dense core of 10000 ppl / sq mi and lots of shopping plazas and parks in walking and biking distance, but wide roads, high speed limits, slip turns, and the lack of protected bike lanes are big barriers. Just a little bit of will and change can make places vibrant.
I'm not gonna become Not Just Bikes. The channel will still be US and North America focused, but I think it's important to be in other places to really get a sense of contrasts and possibilities.
@@CityNerd This is so true. This video episode added days to my life. It's important to be able to adapt "best practices" and show N. Americans what is possible. We have to get past that knee-jerk reaction of "that's Europe, we can't do it here, it's so different, medieval cities w/ narrow streets yap yap ". This video helps knit things back together. Thanks so much for all of these and I am so psyched to see more from Madrid and other cities in days to come!!
Took a bike tour of Spain last fall and the biggest culture shock as an American suburbanite was all the people just sitting around in public and talking to each other
That's amazing but I'm also a little sad to hear how it's a shock, as it's normal for many outside the US. It's nice to be among other people. You feel so much more involved in society when everything is at a human scale. Hope your trip in Spain was nice :)
I was in Croatia last summer and in towns like Hvar you narrow medieval alleyways lined with tables and families and friends eating during the pleasant night out. No cars in sight. Coming back to my neighborhood in the US where there aren't even sidewalks and there's nothing but strouds and drive-thrus sent me into a deep depression.
@@laurie7689 None of that sit around and talk behavior is rude. It's expected in Europe. If you're in a place like France or Italy, no waiter is ever going to bring the bill to your table without you asking. That would be considered rude in their culture. Restaurants are a social space and hanging out long after you finish is expected. It's just a different culture. America is hurry, hurry time is money mindset. European mindset is more like we take our time and savor the joys of life. What's the big hurry?
One of my absolute favorite cities. I lived there for a year in 2015/2016 and was able to commute only on public transit from the Estrecho metro stop to Aranjuez every day for the cost of 25 euros per month. Loved being able to go anywhere and everywhere in that city. Then came back to Cleveland and was very aware of our car centered infrastructure. Thanks for the post.
Yes, I'm in Philly. Our SEPTA transit system is actually pretty good especially if you're not too far from downtown. I'm reminded of how convenient it is when I visit other cities that have relatively little transit and/or limited systems. It's not the London Underground but SEPTA is fairly robust mix of subway, EL trains, buses, commuter rail that serves the region and connects fairly seamlessly to NJ transit options and will take you to DE as well.
@@fdm2155 I was lucky enough to travel to Boston, NYC, Newark, Philly, DC, and Baltimore this summer all on Amtrak and using various forms of public transit to get around in each area. I visited my cousin in Downingtown and I was pretty impressed with the SEPTA overall!
Lived in the US my whole life and just got back from my first trip abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was so amazing to see how many people were out walking to bars at night and out and about during the middle of the day. I took over 20k steps 4 of the days I was there. Now that I'm back, I'm just very depressed with how everything it set up here. I've been wanting to move to Europe for a while now, and that trip solidified my wanting.
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I'm originally from Madrid but have been living in the US for nearly a decade now, and I miss the walking and chitchatting a lot, maybe more than the food. I love your channel and this video made me weirdly proud. I think it'd be cool to know what US cities/neighborhoods are trying the Madrid approach, perhaps a top 10 'Most promising cities to become walkable in the US' ?
I can’t imagine why you would move here. Even if the U.S. had top notch walkability, public transport and bike infrastructure. There would still be countless reasons to not.
@@SomeGuyWhoPlaysGames333 Every country has its pros and cons. I'm tired of people acting like our country is some kind of warzone where everyone just fends for themselves. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging the positives.
When I was working in the Portland area we looked at Low Emissions Zones as part of a potential central city treatment. It's all about climate and transportation justice. Pricing of different kinds can accomplish a lot of similar things. You still have to make investments in transit, walking, and biking, though. NY and SF are doing some good things.
Excited for the European era ! I'd love to see content around the bus line changes in Madrid and the focus on equity in changing how the transportation in the city is setup.
Dang, I didn't even mention the Cero lines, which are new, part of Madrid 360. New free bus lines that criss-cross the central city on N-S and E-W axes.
They need to plant more trees in those open spaces. I hate it when they paved all the ground with asphalts or cobblestone and then remove any trees around.
I just realized why Americans have such nostalgia around the American shopping mall. That shot at the underground metro is basically just that, in sounds. Might be why the Dead Mall Series by Dan Bell are so popular too, it's a nostalgia of that feeling the mall offered - walkable third places. For me it's the metro that sounds familiar and comfortable. I hate malls but I love walkable cities and public transport. And bikes.
Hi! I'm a huge fan of your videos (along with Not Just Bikes). I've lived in Madrid for more than 20 years and am reminded every day of how lucky I am. The city's walkability and quality of life is extraordinary. It's such a shame that there's nothing like this in the States. One of the things you might want to study a bit more closely is the history of the recent reforms to Plaza de España. A stunningly successful project. I'd love to meet you if you're staying a bit longer!
I am from Brasil, and I've been in Madrid last year, as a tourist. So many walkable streets and parks. Such a joy to walk there. Gran via, plaza del sol...I wish Brasil could take some lessons, but instead we have the same car centric approach of us cities. It's a shame. Sorry for my english😉
I'm sure many other people have noted it, but the density really helps make it a walkable place too. I love how many 4-5 story buildings I noticed that most likely are full of apartments with street level activity. We are making progress with walkable streets in my midwestern US city, but still don't often have the population centers to feel like it's a thriving public space. Most of the city feels empty at night as people drive back to the suburbs.
I was born in a city near Madrid, and I went to university in Madrid. The public transportation system in that city is amazing, and I love everything they are doing with the city (and the friends I have in Madrid think the same way!). It was a shock to come to the UK with their car-centric culture. Only a few places outside of London seem to understand how enjoyable it is to live without cars. One of my anecdotes about my time in university is that I had to take the car to the cercanias train station to go to Madrid because the bus that goes to Madrid (and has a stop 5 minutes away from my home) was always stuck in traffic in the morning! Going to Madrid by car never even crossed my mind!
As a madrileño and a fan of the channel, I have to suggest you that you come to visit Santa Eugenia. It's a 70's neighborhood with a really interesting design. Narrow one lane streets that conform super-blocks and then a really dense network of gardens and small walk-in corridors in between those. It also has amazing public transportation connections to downtown Madrid. To add some interest to it, you can compare it with the more modern PAU nearby (the newly built zones) where you finde wider stroads and much less vegetation (and are a lot less pedestrian friendly). Also, I'd be happy to have a cup of coffe with you.
Hey! Now that you're in Spain you could come to Bilbao! The city was a industrial powerhouse during the 19th and 20th centuries. Then the Guggenheim was built and all the riverside was remodeled. You should check it out and maybe make a video on it! Great videos, been following for a couple of months and I'm really liking it
it'd be interesting to compare the changes that have happened in places like bilbao and the rhine ruhr that were super industrialized to the rust belt in the US. rhine ruhr in particular took a lot of those old abandoned industrial works and made pretty incredible public spaces out of them
Madrid was the perfect city to feature on your channel-great video! Another aspect of the great design of Madrid is how easy it is for people with mobility issues to get around. My husband struggles to make it across the street in time in car-centric cities, but the protected walkways in Madrid were perfect for him, as were all the elevators in the fabulous metro stations.
Love this episode. I've been watching a Spanish series on Netflix that takes place in Madrid. What strikes me is how beautiful Madrid is relative to a standard American city. In the show the characters can easily walk out their apartment and be within walking distance to shops, restaurants, train stations, bars, grocery stores. Plus the architecture is beautiful.
I lived in Madrid from 2017-2019 and did not have to drive a car once. It was paradise, so much better for my health/quality of life, and just such a nice change after coming from car-infested south Florida.
This is not what I expected when you said you'd be in a different location. Very excited about in-depth international urbanist content from an American perspective. Any chance of an intercity/international transit video?
I almost didn't click because by the name and thumbnail I thought this was going to be a fantasy video about the overly optimistic future of some depressing US city. I'm glad I gave the video a chance anyway and found out it was about Madrid! Madrid is a great inspiration for other cities in the world, including Tel Aviv where I live. Thank you for this inspiration!
Great to see you in Europe! If you are able you should go to Milan, it has been the best experience I have had with a metro system in the western hemisphere. I am not sure if this is a suggestion but I would love if you also went down to South America (or just make a video) and explore their transit. Some cities that stick out are Buenos Aires, Rio, Medellin/Bogota, Santiago, and Montevideo :)
I Live in Madrid, and yes, these new projects are awesome. Also, the metro system is wonderful. However, biking is terrible in the city. Luckily they are making a new bike lane on one of the most important streets (Castellana) If you want to come back to Madrid, City Nerd, you could stay at mine haha, which is kinda weird, but would save a lot of money
I'm thinking of moving to Madrid for university and have been there for a few days and its such a beautiful city. I see some car centric aspects, but the fact that its an amazing walkable city blew my mind. I personally am biased to Madrid because I love Real Madrid, but after going to Madrid, it's my most favorite city I've went to alongside Barcelona. The public transport is amazing, almost all areas are walkable, and you have Santiago Bernabeu, one of the best football stadiums and you have the Atocha train station, which has high speed rail service to almost all of Spain (mostly Barcelona and southern and eastern Spain). This video made me so happy as a person who loves and wants to live in Madrid
I'm from Lima, Peru. My city is really really dense. We lack of good public transit and a lot of walkable places are being transformed into car-dependent places. However, now that I live in the Bay Area (I'm doing a master's degree here) I really really miss my city: it is so much vibrant, there's tons of things going on always... I miss the news stands where people spend some minutes reading the headlines before taking a bus or keep walking. Lima is now building the 2nd line of our subway system (which we hope we'll start running next year) and preparing everything to build the 3rd line. I hope we follow the path of European cities instead of American cities because I can assure you that being in a car-dependent city is really frustrating and boring
I also was in Madrid last week! Coming from a pretty pedestrianfriendly European city Madrid still felt like heaven, walking everywhere and for the large distances the metro is everywhere and superfrequent. I was very impressed
With family there and having visited back in the 2000s, this has been a long time in the making as well. The bus only lanes and parking system (and the seriousness with which they were enforced) made getting around easy compared to anything I had experienced in the US. Thanks for the vid and the highlight!
Absolutely love Madrid and have been hoping you would one day talk in depth about it as I think it is a great example of cities becoming more Urbanist. If you are looking to get away from the cold for a bit, Valencia is really underrated in terms of Urbanism. I lived there for a year and made almost all of my trips on bicycle, it was a dream.
I finally made my first visit to Madrid last year, and I definitely appreciate all the hard work they've done to make the city center conducive to walking. I did encounter some unpleasant streets further out, particularly around Atocha station, but I had the misfortune of visiting during a NATO summit, which seemed to push cars off most side streets and onto main thoroughfares. But it made it all the nicer to finally arrive at Madrid Rio Park!
Yeah, there are a few pretty wide, heavily trafficked streets around the perimeter of Centro. They do close Paseo del Prado on weekends though, which I missed picking up for this video!
Madrid is one of my favorite cities. I will be there at the end of June. I remember a constant flow of people down a pedestrian only street toward Garnd Via thet went on for hours.
I spent a month abroad in Madrid and I absolutely loved it. It felt so lively and well designed. I walked far more than I usually do at home. I think Retiro should be a bucket list location.
Madrid is wonderful! I had a very memorable time back in 2011 as an aupair in the city. So excited to see some Madrid content coming from a city nerd;)
I was just in Madrid, so I'm glad to see you did a video here! I really appreciated the walkability and pedestrian friendliness of the city -- especially Sol. Also, loving all the shots of Lavapiés, probably the neighborhood I spent the most time in. To be honest, I didn't love taking the metro in Madrid, but that's probably because I've been spoiled by living in a city with a predominantly above-ground metro -- I missed the sunlight haha. It didn't matter though, because central Madrid was so pedestrian friendly I found myself walking way more often than taking the metro, even if the metro would've been efficient and quick.
"Perra gorda" was a nickname given to the ten-cent Spanish peseta coin. On the back of the coin there was a lion holding a shield, but people thought it looked like a fat female dog. If you put "perra gorda" in a translator you will get a literal translation lol.
Honestly glad you’re not in Vegas anymore. I had the same angst about being in a walkable place after having a brief stint in LA. Greatly enjoy the international cities you’re showing. Portugal next please 🙏
Having spent a bit of time in Madrid in 2010, it was already an enjoyable walkable city then, but am so happy to see the changes made since then! And from an American perspective, it's such an overlooked destination that is worth visiting.
I was in Madrid last July and it really sold me on the walkability of the historic area. Used the metro, train and later the cab to the airport. Never needed a car as there were shops everywhere for food, RX, restaurants and little single chair barber shops. Plus very affordable right now. Thank for featuring it.
Welcome to Europe. Looking forward to the rest of the new season. Another vote here for Valencia too. You’d have an opportunity to check out the magnificent Atocha station on the way too. If you’re heading south Sevilla is worth a look too with loads of new bike infrastructure as well as the more traditional attractions. Keep going and you’ll get to CADIZ, possibly one of my favourite Spanish cities. The historic core is almost an island made up of narrow shady mostly pedestrianised streets. They’ve very recently opened a new light rail line connecting settlements around the bay too. You’ll need to get a move on if you want to experience carnival (reputedly the second largest in the world or something) as I think it’s next week.
Congrats on the move! I was just in Madrid in December and I kept asking myself which Spanish holiday it was when I wandered this incredibly pedestrian-packed city every day just utterly surrounded by people and places to go. Segovia, Sevilla, Toledo were also great towns to visit by train
Gosh. This takes me back to my first visit to Rota, Spain. I was amazed how such a small town had built up residential areas, shops and restaurants everywhere. I miss it so much. I always loved visiting there.
Love the ASMR sections lol. One of the best things about NJB videos is that he lets the background audio run during his footage to showcase how the location feels in terms of noise-levels.
Just went for a bike ride in my neighborhood. First time on a bike in about 15 years. I forgot how fun it is to ride. My city is almost totally car centric but you and others are inspiring me to start asking questions and maybe ask for some changes. Thank you!!
Now that's a true city nerd, going through all the cities! An ASMR channel would be great. Usually these channels just cover a specific area and runs out of content, but if you're continuing on your city hopping journey I think there'd be no end of content for it! I missed the stadium subcount check though.
Yes, wow, thank you Ray! This was so relaxing and interesting to see and learn about. Please make the cityscape ASMR! I used to watch Japanese urban alleys and street videos (walking and stationary, before ASMR was a thing) when I was in high school. Madrid is so beautiful!
Hello Ray! I just discovered your channel last week, and immediately subscribed! Am planning on going back and binge watch all of your videos? Ha!! I am over 70 years old and it is on my bucket list to live in a car free city for one year minimum. I have discovered places in Mexico, Greece, France Netherlands, and Mackinac Island, Michigan. Have you research car, free cities in the United States as well as the rest of the world? I live in a small, southern Oregon city, and would love to see an area designated for pedestrian use only. I don’t know if it could be achieved or not… A lot of convincing to do!! Anyway, really glad I found you. Also discovered the “Strong Town’s” RUclips channel. Glad to see more reporting and awareness on this subject. Keep up the good work!
Great that you extend your accurate analysis of city development to destinations in Europe. There's still a lot to improve here, and as a Swiss I tend to complain about how long it takes to change anything in the two cities I live and work in, but it's good to get you outsider few that puts things into perspective. I was not aware that Madrid managed to change so much for the better in recent years. We tend to hear more about Barcelona and their "superblocks".
Madrid was one of the first big cities I visited where I really felt comfortable walking a long distance. Blew my mind at the time that it was possible!
Lived here back in 2015. And one point about the transport is how cheap it is, and how it goes everywhere, almost to every suburb. It meant that you could live on the edge of the city and still get to the centre in about 45 minutes without paying some astronomic "zone" surplus. (Madrid does have zones, but almost all of the Metro is in the central zone anyway). Compared to London, commuting was about a 3rd of the price - my company would pay for a monthly ticket but it was so cheap I kept forgetting to claim the money back!
I never found London's transport that expensive, and it was also super easy to get around (maybe it was just that I was on quite a good wage). Other aspects of living there were super expensive however, and you are right, if your employer is going to pay for your monthly public transport ticket then that is always going to make you use it, and give you lots of options in getting around.
Italian here. I never stopped to consider just how convenient living in Milan is; I took for granted the metro service every 7 minutes and lamented the small number of shared bikes. This video is a strange point-of-view shot for me, really fascinating and eye-opening that public transport noise can be ASMR! Please reach out if you need videos or pictures of Milan, Italy. I find what you do beautiful and important, and I would be happy to be of help.
I will also be visiting Madrid and working remotely from there for a couple of months. I also live in the Sunbelt, so your experience speaks directly to me! I’m also a Transportation Planner. Are you me from the future?!
Vale, venga, vamos! This is so exciting! I was amazed walking around Puerta del Sol and Chueca there. Even though crowds suck everywhere, there was just an underlying and organic flow. Shout out 100 Monteditos.
I am from Spain, if you visit our cities you will have a good leg and you will eat good food. Good video also the shot of the Principe Pio station at 12:29 just 10/10. You have to show that in Las Vegas and get rid of Teslas shit in a tunnel... and all that promotional crap. Pontevedra is an example that can also be done in smaller urban centers, and completely remove the car, also the city is spectacular, It's like a mini Paris without cars, all pedestrianized. Many cities in Spain, if not all, were already perfect for walking and now more than ever. There are many talisman cities in Spain, its entire coastline is an abundance of pearls. With unique architecture. By the way, some of the houses you see are in the mountain style 'Montañes' and 'Castellano'.
“Madridanos in particular just like being around each other. Observing that as an American - uh that’s just very weird behavior.” City nerd is my favorite.
Fun timing, I was also there this weekend (for the first time) and wow what a city! The center is essentially perfect, loved the Lavapiés area, though I was surprised to see how some "posh" neighborhoods still consisted of very wide avenues and very long pedestrian lights, notably north&west of the Retiro park or around Argüelles.. Coming from Paris, these areas gave me kind of a New York-y vibe. Also the weather was perfect this weekend
So much good content here. Lived in Madrid from 2018-2020 and commuted on the Madrid Rio from Principe Pio down to the Amazon offices in Delicias. Going home each evening on my bike was like slalom through the crowd. Madrid folks love to get out. Best cycling solution is to ride during siesta on weekends when all trails become ghost towns!
@@CityNerd it’s a decent cycling city OUTSIDE the center. You have Casa de Campo, The Anillo (ring trail around the entire city), and a number of Vias Verdes that start at the end of the metro like the one that starts in Arganda del Rey (SE terminus of the 9 metro).
I love Madrid! I got to live there for a couple years like 10 years ago. Their public transportation system is 1,000 years ahead of anything in the US.
There's always plenty of value in showing the problems in typical US cities but I'm especially liking these videos that show there's an actual path to fixing them.
Counterpoint: As a pedestrian, I love being in an environment where I don't have to worry about getting hit by *any* oncoming vehicle, even bikes. Also, you can always have parallel cycling routes!
Welcome to Spain! Would love to see your take on Barcelona. Perhaps a focus on our superilles (super blocks). They started again in earnest in the famously car-ridden neighborhood of L'Eixample and I can see them slowly transforming that part of the city every day they get closer to completion!
I liked your Vegas content. You successfully accomplished “Comit to the bit” by living car free there(or car-less, or is it car reduced) . Hey have a great stay in Madrid your content is opening my eyes to this new perspective of urbanism. (New to me at least)
Haven't been to Madrid since 2018 - so amazing to see all the changes since then! I'll have to go back, really want to check out Madrid Río, looks amazing.
Love seeing city nerd expand into Europe!! This is really fascinating, I thought you sticking to mostly just the US (and often Las Vegas) was honestly holding back the possibilities of what you could cover
I'm all for seeing everything good and walkable about Madrid because I will be making a stop there in May on vacation with my partner and we plan to spend the entire time carless, availing ourselves of public transportation as much as possible. This video shows a ton of cool places we can go while we're there!
So so happy you highlighted Madrid and Spain. Would love to see you explore Barcelona and Seville. I went to these places in 2019 and fell in love. What about the idea of Public History, Plazas, Monuments as an idea for an episode?
Fuencarral is pedestrian only from morning to late afternoon on Sundays and maybe some public holidays. And same goes for paseo Del Prado, Madrid pedestrianizes long sections of various streets all around the city on Sundays. It’s great.
I love seeing this! I lived in Madrid in 2006-07 as a student and found it super walkable and urbanist THEN (coming from a suburban US background and only a couple years at a wonderfully walkable, but small, university town). Between the smoking ban (not implemented back in '07!) and the incredible changes shown in this video, I want to get back even more.
It’s as if you read my mind! The past couple weeks I’ve been looking at a few places for career opportunities, and while most of the studios im looking at are in California, which I’m kinda meh about going there, there was one that caught my eye located in Madrid. While i’m kinda familiar with what California is like, I’m not at all familiar with Madrid (i’ve only been to Spain once and I only stayed in Barcelona). Thank you for such an informative and interesting video!
Love this. This is rapidly becoming one of my favorite RUclips channels, and lo and behold, today it features a city I know well and love. I remember the car-centric Madrid of the 90s and I have seen it evolve up until today. Great to see you there, hope you stay long!
Lovely! Since you're in Madrid, you should definitely get into the 19th and 20th century urban planning of the city. I've been studying Modern Spain and the city went through A TON of change in the last hundred years.
Thanks for visiting my city!!!, I hope you can travel to other cities in Spain like Barcelona or Bilbao which also have had major urban development to reduce car infrastructure. Saludos!
You should take a look at Fort Worth’s Central City Project for Panther Island. It’s taking a huge, mostly unused chunk of land near downtown, and adding high density development, and potentially a street car
I live in ft worth, I just moved here 9 months ago, but I've heard it's going to be awhile before Panther Island is complete. I'm looking forward to it though
I lived in Madrid for a short time ten years ago, such an awesome and underrated city. I found it infinitely walkable back then, can’t wait to go back. This video is giving me serious nostalgia pangs, you even highlighted my old neighborhood of Chamberí
Great video! Loved that you visited Spain. I do hope though that you didn't stay at AirBnB while there. AirBnB contributes to a housing crisis wherever it spreads and Madrid is no exception.
Great video! A Spanish suggestion: you should do a video about cycling culture in Sevilla. Although recent, cycling became very popular in less than 20 years.
Nice to see some in-depth reporting from a city making real efforts to make life more pleasant! I might take issue with the Madrid Metro though. I spent four or five days in Madrid a few years ago and found the Metro system unusually difficult to figure out and navigate. I found the map and fare system almost indecipherable (ok, it had been a long flight), and despite written directions still managed to go astray on the journey from the airport to Centro. 🙂
This is really encouraging! Looking at those clips from the 90’s, that looks just like a bunch of American cities where people say “well, European cities are just different!”
The transformation of plaza del sol is amazing, first.went to Madrid in 2002 and it was a car chocked place with smallish areas for people to gather. I have not been to Madrid since 2009 but even then I could see the change happening. It's great to see it become such a people friendly place if only cities in North America can learn.
I was just in Madrid. I found it cool to see all the car-restricted areas around Centro. Also check out Valencia. I'm there right now, and the bike infrastructure and park integrations are incredible.
Love the idea of Urbanist ASMR! Not sure if you’re serious or not, but I already enjoy putting on NYC walking videos as background noise sometimes haha. I’ve been watching your content for a long time, always appreciate your videos and the work you put into them!
Wow, when you started the video and talked about moving to a more Spanish-Castllian city I was thinking a city in the Southwest US, not actually Spain itself!!! I've not actually been to Madrid recently, but if it's like other major Spanish cities a few things made me smile. Firstly your comment of a restaurant only opening at 8.30pm made me think, wow that's really for Spain, where when I first went people actually go out to eat at 10pm, or even midnight!!! As for pedestrianisation, I think it is happening all over Europe as city centres change from being mostly retail to a mix of retail and entertainment destinations, where cars aren't necessary, and aren't wanted. You are right that it could only be implemented well where there is already quality transit options to get you into the centre (although smaller cities can still pedestrianise a few main, central streets, or at least restrict motor vehicles) so could places like New York, Chicago, or San Francisco, for example even start to do this? I guess there need to be cultural shifts before you do this, and I have to say it more trust between people (and less guns, and crime in general).
I feel like a lot of people talk about good urban design but not enough people talk about how to convert existing car-dependent cities into walkable cities. If someone were to make a video about converting Houston to a walkable city I will be extremely impressed.
In this video there are some Ideas. Madrid is very car-centric for European standards. He talked how the city used to be and how it has evolved.
Currently reading a book about that subject, and curious to see what I find.
Titled "The Sprawl Repair Manual".
You start on empty lots with the buildings, and you wait the 400 years of piecemeal building until your city looks like Madrid.
There. It isnt some magic fix of bike lanes and turning half your streets into pedestrian malls.
I think the answer isn't really a "how", it's a "how to convince" because the political dimension to it is so large. The literal how is that you provide a combination of car restriction and alternative mobility, and that could mean a metro, LRT/BRT, or separated bike lanes. And the restrictions can be layered beyond simple physical access - a lot of European cities have gone down the route of gating the central city behind permits or tolls. There's an element of cultural mythology to this, where what the culture says is possible becomes possible.
Houston(and most of North America) have the issue of the mythology of freedom being tied to automobile freedom. We have to be convinced out of the idea that the cars are a strength, which is something urbanist RUclips is doing a good job of. I want robocars to actually work because they "transitify" cars - it's ownership that makes people possessive about car access, and if more people access automobiles as a service, they won't fight for lanes or parking to make the cost of ownership pay off, they will ask "what service gives me the most for my money". Which will in turn revitalize land use. And I suspect that in most sprawling cities, BRT expansion also presents an answer in that it "looks and feels" like car infrastructure and gets built in a similar way, so it fits better with our current practices; its downside comes with popularity, but popularity is a good problem to have, it means the induced demand flywheel starts favoring transit. Once you add the mobility, reduce the lane and parking space, and get people away from needing to own, the walkability can follow quickly.
@@jorgea5426 Definitely - central Madrid is looking great here, even as some of the exurbs like Alcobendas were flagged up as some of the most car-centric in Europe in CN's previous video. Shows that it doesn't have to be a stark binary choice.
Studying abroad as an American in Madrid completely changed my idea of transportation. This video brought tears to my eyes
It's a different world, my friend
I wish I had had an opportunity like that.
I am really happy you included that segment of just street noise. It is really profound how much the backdrop of cars, police sirens, brakes, engines revving, stupid people drag racing has been embedded into my mind. Hearing only people touched something deep in my brain.
I kinda want to make a video just about city "noise" (which is mostly just cars) -- it's so important, and you don't even realize it until it's not there, I think.
How appropriate b/c as I was reading this some idiot was revving his motorcycle
Edit: if Ur interested NJB has a video on
this entitled "Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud"
Bicycle Dutch and Not Just Bikes have both covered people- and bike-only city noise in pedestrianized places in the Netherlands, plus--oh no!--trolleys rolling by, clanging their bells. Time for the CityNerd treatment as well in Spain!
I believe the podcast “the war on cars” has addressed it as well. More people need to be informed so I hope you do a video.
Buildings block noise. My in-city townhouse was surprisingly quiet, especially compared to my current single-family city neighborhood during the pandemic, when lots of people seemed to decide to have very loud parties. Sirens do echo everywhere though. And over time the driving behavior definitely got worse, with people regularly speeding down the 8 foot wide one-way travel lane. Possibly because the main roads had been made less efficient to drive, with universal all-way stops instead of allowing one street to retain the right of way. There are always unintended consequences to actions and it's hard to get government to keep that in mind...
This speaks to me so much. My city has a dense core of 10000 ppl / sq mi and lots of shopping plazas and parks in walking and biking distance, but wide roads, high speed limits, slip turns, and the lack of protected bike lanes are big barriers. Just a little bit of will and change can make places vibrant.
What city is that? Sounds like lots of potential
Sounds like Montevideo
Sounds kind of like Houston, or literally any other city in Texas
@@AthenaTheSlayer Irvine, California
@@mateovazquez127 sounds like almost every city in the US.
Yes finally City Nerd has gone International! Hope to see more videos like this.
Doesn’t he have a bunch of videos from Mexico City?
@@FrothyMeanV2 I was about to say that.
I'm not gonna become Not Just Bikes. The channel will still be US and North America focused, but I think it's important to be in other places to really get a sense of contrasts and possibilities.
@@CityNerd This is so true. This video episode added days to my life. It's important to be able to adapt "best practices" and show N. Americans what is possible. We have to get past that knee-jerk reaction of "that's Europe, we can't do it here, it's so different, medieval cities w/ narrow streets yap yap ". This video helps knit things back together. Thanks so much for all of these and I am so psyched to see more from Madrid and other cities in days to come!!
Took a bike tour of Spain last fall and the biggest culture shock as an American suburbanite was all the people just sitting around in public and talking to each other
That's amazing but I'm also a little sad to hear how it's a shock, as it's normal for many outside the US. It's nice to be among other people. You feel so much more involved in society when everything is at a human scale.
Hope your trip in Spain was nice :)
I was in Croatia last summer and in towns like Hvar you narrow medieval alleyways lined with tables and families and friends eating during the pleasant night out. No cars in sight. Coming back to my neighborhood in the US where there aren't even sidewalks and there's nothing but strouds and drive-thrus sent me into a deep depression.
@@laurie7689 speaking in public is rude? Huh?
@@laurie7689 Are you just trolling?
@@laurie7689 None of that sit around and talk behavior is rude. It's expected in Europe. If you're in a place like France or Italy, no waiter is ever going to bring the bill to your table without you asking. That would be considered rude in their culture. Restaurants are a social space and hanging out long after you finish is expected. It's just a different culture. America is hurry, hurry time is money mindset. European mindset is more like we take our time and savor the joys of life. What's the big hurry?
One of my absolute favorite cities. I lived there for a year in 2015/2016 and was able to commute only on public transit from the Estrecho metro stop to Aranjuez every day for the cost of 25 euros per month. Loved being able to go anywhere and everywhere in that city. Then came back to Cleveland and was very aware of our car centered infrastructure. Thanks for the post.
Yes, I'm in Philly. Our SEPTA transit system is actually pretty good especially if you're not too far from downtown. I'm reminded of how convenient it is when I visit other cities that have relatively little transit and/or limited systems. It's not the London Underground but SEPTA is fairly robust mix of subway, EL trains, buses, commuter rail that serves the region and connects fairly seamlessly to NJ transit options and will take you to DE as well.
Madrid is about 5th on list of favorite Spanish cities but I'd still take it over anywhere in the US.
Personally I love Valencia
I was last there around 2014 - Puerta del Sol looks much improved since then, doesn't it?
Cleveland, OH is not all that bad though when you look at places like LA or Miami. I live in Lakewood and survive without a car.
@@fdm2155 I was lucky enough to travel to Boston, NYC, Newark, Philly, DC, and Baltimore this summer all on Amtrak and using various forms of public transit to get around in each area. I visited my cousin in Downingtown and I was pretty impressed with the SEPTA overall!
Lived in the US my whole life and just got back from my first trip abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was so amazing to see how many people were out walking to bars at night and out and about during the middle of the day. I took over 20k steps 4 of the days I was there. Now that I'm back, I'm just very depressed with how everything it set up here. I've been wanting to move to Europe for a while now, and that trip solidified my wanting.
I'm originally from Madrid but have been living in the US for nearly a decade now, and I miss the walking and chitchatting a lot, maybe more than the food. I love your channel and this video made me weirdly proud. I think it'd be cool to know what US cities/neighborhoods are trying the Madrid approach, perhaps a top 10 'Most promising cities to become walkable in the US' ?
I can’t imagine why you would move here. Even if the U.S. had top notch walkability, public transport and bike infrastructure. There would still be countless reasons to not.
Considering Spain had a 25% unemployment rate around a decade ago....
@@SomeGuyWhoPlaysGames333 Every country has its pros and cons. I'm tired of people acting like our country is some kind of warzone where everyone just fends for themselves. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging the positives.
When I was working in the Portland area we looked at Low Emissions Zones as part of a potential central city treatment. It's all about climate and transportation justice. Pricing of different kinds can accomplish a lot of similar things. You still have to make investments in transit, walking, and biking, though. NY and SF are doing some good things.
you moved from madrid to us? it all on you.. dont get shot
Excited for the European era ! I'd love to see content around the bus line changes in Madrid and the focus on equity in changing how the transportation in the city is setup.
Dang, I didn't even mention the Cero lines, which are new, part of Madrid 360. New free bus lines that criss-cross the central city on N-S and E-W axes.
They need to plant more trees in those open spaces. I hate it when they paved all the ground with asphalts or cobblestone and then remove any trees around.
@@nntflow7058 yeah no idea what people get out of that, maybe it shows that people actually enjoy the empty parking lot aesthetic.
I just realized why Americans have such nostalgia around the American shopping mall. That shot at the underground metro is basically just that, in sounds. Might be why the Dead Mall Series by Dan Bell are so popular too, it's a nostalgia of that feeling the mall offered - walkable third places.
For me it's the metro that sounds familiar and comfortable. I hate malls but I love walkable cities and public transport. And bikes.
Hi! I'm a huge fan of your videos (along with Not Just Bikes). I've lived in Madrid for more than 20 years and am reminded every day of how lucky I am. The city's walkability and quality of life is extraordinary. It's such a shame that there's nothing like this in the States. One of the things you might want to study a bit more closely is the history of the recent reforms to Plaza de España. A stunningly successful project. I'd love to meet you if you're staying a bit longer!
I am from Brasil, and I've been in Madrid last year, as a tourist. So many walkable streets and parks. Such a joy to walk there. Gran via, plaza del sol...I wish Brasil could take some lessons, but instead we have the same car centric approach of us cities. It's a shame. Sorry for my english😉
Nothing to apologise for,your English is great.
I'm sure many other people have noted it, but the density really helps make it a walkable place too. I love how many 4-5 story buildings I noticed that most likely are full of apartments with street level activity. We are making progress with walkable streets in my midwestern US city, but still don't often have the population centers to feel like it's a thriving public space. Most of the city feels empty at night as people drive back to the suburbs.
I was born in a city near Madrid, and I went to university in Madrid. The public transportation system in that city is amazing, and I love everything they are doing with the city (and the friends I have in Madrid think the same way!). It was a shock to come to the UK with their car-centric culture. Only a few places outside of London seem to understand how enjoyable it is to live without cars.
One of my anecdotes about my time in university is that I had to take the car to the cercanias train station to go to Madrid because the bus that goes to Madrid (and has a stop 5 minutes away from my home) was always stuck in traffic in the morning! Going to Madrid by car never even crossed my mind!
As a madrileño and a fan of the channel, I have to suggest you that you come to visit Santa Eugenia. It's a 70's neighborhood with a really interesting design. Narrow one lane streets that conform super-blocks and then a really dense network of gardens and small walk-in corridors in between those. It also has amazing public transportation connections to downtown Madrid. To add some interest to it, you can compare it with the more modern PAU nearby (the newly built zones) where you finde wider stroads and much less vegetation (and are a lot less pedestrian friendly). Also, I'd be happy to have a cup of coffe with you.
Hey! Now that you're in Spain you could come to Bilbao! The city was a industrial powerhouse during the 19th and 20th centuries. Then the Guggenheim was built and all the riverside was remodeled. You should check it out and maybe make a video on it! Great videos, been following for a couple of months and I'm really liking it
Bilbao is certainly interesting :) Very different feel to the other Spanish cities I've visited.
Basque country, mmmmm
it'd be interesting to compare the changes that have happened in places like bilbao and the rhine ruhr that were super industrialized to the rust belt in the US. rhine ruhr in particular took a lot of those old abandoned industrial works and made pretty incredible public spaces out of them
Madrid was the perfect city to feature on your channel-great video! Another aspect of the great design of Madrid is how easy it is for people with mobility issues to get around. My husband struggles to make it across the street in time in car-centric cities, but the protected walkways in Madrid were perfect for him, as were all the elevators in the fabulous metro stations.
Love this episode.
I've been watching a Spanish series on Netflix that takes place in Madrid. What strikes me is how beautiful Madrid is relative to a standard
American city. In the show the characters can easily walk out their apartment and be within walking distance to shops, restaurants, train stations, bars, grocery stores. Plus the architecture is beautiful.
What’s the show called?
Haha, I just finished Machos Alfa and am eagerly awaiting another season of Valeria!
@@CityNerd Yep my wife and I watched Valeria and I also watched Machos Alfa. Is Madrid as amazing as it looks?
@@klsinger124 Valeria
I am from here and It is Wild to see how that is a suprising thing... Also I am 30 and I dont have a license, never needed one
I lived in Madrid from 2017-2019 and did not have to drive a car once. It was paradise, so much better for my health/quality of life, and just such a nice change after coming from car-infested south Florida.
This is not what I expected when you said you'd be in a different location. Very excited about in-depth international urbanist content from an American perspective. Any chance of an intercity/international transit video?
I was thinking Latin America guess not.
Plenty of chances for all kinds of content!
@@mariaansley1519
I thght he had gone back to Mexico for a minute
I'm guessing the high-speed rail service to Barcelona will feature at some point?
Nothing warms my heart more than a street where conversations are louder than motors. Makes me happy!!!!
I almost didn't click because by the name and thumbnail I thought this was going to be a fantasy video about the overly optimistic future of some depressing US city. I'm glad I gave the video a chance anyway and found out it was about Madrid!
Madrid is a great inspiration for other cities in the world, including Tel Aviv where I live. Thank you for this inspiration!
Great to see you in Europe! If you are able you should go to Milan, it has been the best experience I have had with a metro system in the western hemisphere.
I am not sure if this is a suggestion but I would love if you also went down to South America (or just make a video) and explore their transit. Some cities that stick out are Buenos Aires, Rio, Medellin/Bogota, Santiago, and Montevideo :)
I Live in Madrid, and yes, these new projects are awesome. Also, the metro system is wonderful.
However, biking is terrible in the city. Luckily they are making a new bike lane on one of the most important streets (Castellana)
If you want to come back to Madrid, City Nerd, you could stay at mine haha, which is kinda weird, but would save a lot of money
Yeah I didn't want to hype the biking much, it doesn't look great unless you're along the river.
Also Madrid is not a good city for bikes... Like yeah in Amsterdam they all take the bike but id like to see them cycling the hills in Lavapies
I'm thinking of moving to Madrid for university and have been there for a few days and its such a beautiful city. I see some car centric aspects, but the fact that its an amazing walkable city blew my mind. I personally am biased to Madrid because I love Real Madrid, but after going to Madrid, it's my most favorite city I've went to alongside Barcelona. The public transport is amazing, almost all areas are walkable, and you have Santiago Bernabeu, one of the best football stadiums and you have the Atocha train station, which has high speed rail service to almost all of Spain (mostly Barcelona and southern and eastern Spain). This video made me so happy as a person who loves and wants to live in Madrid
I'm from Lima, Peru. My city is really really dense. We lack of good public transit and a lot of walkable places are being transformed into car-dependent places. However, now that I live in the Bay Area (I'm doing a master's degree here) I really really miss my city: it is so much vibrant, there's tons of things going on always... I miss the news stands where people spend some minutes reading the headlines before taking a bus or keep walking. Lima is now building the 2nd line of our subway system (which we hope we'll start running next year) and preparing everything to build the 3rd line. I hope we follow the path of European cities instead of American cities because I can assure you that being in a car-dependent city is really frustrating and boring
I also was in Madrid last week! Coming from a pretty pedestrianfriendly European city Madrid still felt like heaven, walking everywhere and for the large distances the metro is everywhere and superfrequent. I was very impressed
With family there and having visited back in the 2000s, this has been a long time in the making as well. The bus only lanes and parking system (and the seriousness with which they were enforced) made getting around easy compared to anything I had experienced in the US. Thanks for the vid and the highlight!
Absolutely love Madrid and have been hoping you would one day talk in depth about it as I think it is a great example of cities becoming more Urbanist. If you are looking to get away from the cold for a bit, Valencia is really underrated in terms of Urbanism. I lived there for a year and made almost all of my trips on bicycle, it was a dream.
Yes Valencia is the best. The "used to be a river" central park is great for walking or biking
🤔 could happen
@@parkmannate4154 The "Turia"! Basically a pedestrian/bicycle highway that cuts through the city
@@DaFreeze220 thanks I couldn't remember the name
I finally made my first visit to Madrid last year, and I definitely appreciate all the hard work they've done to make the city center conducive to walking. I did encounter some unpleasant streets further out, particularly around Atocha station, but I had the misfortune of visiting during a NATO summit, which seemed to push cars off most side streets and onto main thoroughfares. But it made it all the nicer to finally arrive at Madrid Rio Park!
Yeah, there are a few pretty wide, heavily trafficked streets around the perimeter of Centro. They do close Paseo del Prado on weekends though, which I missed picking up for this video!
Madrid is one of my favorite cities. I will be there at the end of June. I remember a constant flow of people down a pedestrian only street toward Garnd Via thet went on for hours.
I spent a month abroad in Madrid and I absolutely loved it. It felt so lively and well designed. I walked far more than I usually do at home. I think Retiro should be a bucket list location.
Madrid is wonderful! I had a very memorable time back in 2011 as an aupair in the city. So excited to see some Madrid content coming from a city nerd;)
I was just in Madrid, so I'm glad to see you did a video here! I really appreciated the walkability and pedestrian friendliness of the city -- especially Sol. Also, loving all the shots of Lavapiés, probably the neighborhood I spent the most time in. To be honest, I didn't love taking the metro in Madrid, but that's probably because I've been spoiled by living in a city with a predominantly above-ground metro -- I missed the sunlight haha. It didn't matter though, because central Madrid was so pedestrian friendly I found myself walking way more often than taking the metro, even if the metro would've been efficient and quick.
Sound like you stayed i the tourist traps...
"Perra gorda" was a nickname given to the ten-cent Spanish peseta coin. On the back of the coin there was a lion holding a shield, but people thought it looked like a fat female dog. If you put "perra gorda" in a translator you will get a literal translation lol.
Thanks for the context.
That’s why a slot machine is known as a “tragaperras”, because it swallows coins
Honestly glad you’re not in Vegas anymore. I had the same angst about being in a walkable place after having a brief stint in LA. Greatly enjoy the international cities you’re showing. Portugal next please 🙏
Having spent a bit of time in Madrid in 2010, it was already an enjoyable walkable city then, but am so happy to see the changes made since then! And from an American perspective, it's such an overlooked destination that is worth visiting.
I was in Madrid last July and it really sold me on the walkability of the historic area. Used the metro, train and later the cab to the airport. Never needed a car as there were shops everywhere for food, RX, restaurants and little single chair barber shops. Plus very affordable right now. Thank for featuring it.
Welcome to Europe. Looking forward to the rest of the new season. Another vote here for Valencia too. You’d have an opportunity to check out the magnificent Atocha station on the way too. If you’re heading south Sevilla is worth a look too with loads of new bike infrastructure as well as the more traditional attractions. Keep going and you’ll get to CADIZ, possibly one of my favourite Spanish cities. The historic core is almost an island made up of narrow shady mostly pedestrianised streets. They’ve very recently opened a new light rail line connecting settlements around the bay too. You’ll need to get a move on if you want to experience carnival (reputedly the second largest in the world or something) as I think it’s next week.
Congrats on the move! I was just in Madrid in December and I kept asking myself which Spanish holiday it was when I wandered this incredibly pedestrian-packed city every day just utterly surrounded by people and places to go. Segovia, Sevilla, Toledo were also great towns to visit by train
Gosh. This takes me back to my first visit to Rota, Spain. I was amazed how such a small town had built up residential areas, shops and restaurants everywhere. I miss it so much. I always loved visiting there.
Love the ASMR sections lol. One of the best things about NJB videos is that he lets the background audio run during his footage to showcase how the location feels in terms of noise-levels.
Just went for a bike ride in my neighborhood. First time on a bike in about 15 years. I forgot how fun it is to ride. My city is almost totally car centric but you and others are inspiring me to start asking questions and maybe ask for some changes. Thank you!!
Thanks
No problem
Now that's a true city nerd, going through all the cities!
An ASMR channel would be great. Usually these channels just cover a specific area and runs out of content, but if you're continuing on your city hopping journey I think there'd be no end of content for it!
I missed the stadium subcount check though.
Think he stopped the stadium thingy. Not too many stadiums around that can fit 130k spectators. Call it the downside of success. 😉
There are actually channels that just do silent walking tours and pick up all the street sounds -- I don't think I wanna get into that niche too far!
Yes, wow, thank you Ray!
This was so relaxing and interesting to see and learn about. Please make the cityscape ASMR! I used to watch Japanese urban alleys and street videos (walking and stationary, before ASMR was a thing) when I was in high school. Madrid is so beautiful!
Hello Ray!
I just discovered your channel last week, and immediately subscribed! Am planning on going back and binge watch all of your videos? Ha!! I am over 70 years old and it is on my bucket list to live in a car free city for one year minimum. I have discovered places in Mexico, Greece, France Netherlands, and Mackinac Island, Michigan.
Have you research car, free cities in the United States as well as the rest of the world? I live in a small, southern Oregon city, and would love to see an area designated for pedestrian use only. I don’t know if it could be achieved or not… A lot of convincing to do!! Anyway, really glad I found you. Also discovered the “Strong Town’s” RUclips channel. Glad to see more reporting and awareness on this subject. Keep up the good work!
Great that you extend your accurate analysis of city development to destinations in Europe. There's still a lot to improve here, and as a Swiss I tend to complain about how long it takes to change anything in the two cities I live and work in, but it's good to get you outsider few that puts things into perspective. I was not aware that Madrid managed to change so much for the better in recent years. We tend to hear more about Barcelona and their "superblocks".
I'm going to Madrid in two weeks for the first time so this video made even more excited.
Madrid was one of the first big cities I visited where I really felt comfortable walking a long distance. Blew my mind at the time that it was possible!
Lived here back in 2015. And one point about the transport is how cheap it is, and how it goes everywhere, almost to every suburb. It meant that you could live on the edge of the city and still get to the centre in about 45 minutes without paying some astronomic "zone" surplus. (Madrid does have zones, but almost all of the Metro is in the central zone anyway). Compared to London, commuting was about a 3rd of the price - my company would pay for a monthly ticket but it was so cheap I kept forgetting to claim the money back!
Every Spainish metro I've used has been super affordable. Granted thats only 3 cities but still
I never found London's transport that expensive, and it was also super easy to get around (maybe it was just that I was on quite a good wage). Other aspects of living there were super expensive however, and you are right, if your employer is going to pay for your monthly public transport ticket then that is always going to make you use it, and give you lots of options in getting around.
I've been dreaming of going to Madrid for years now and the ASMR delivered!
I love what you do and your commitment to it❤️
Yes, I should almost certainly be committed
Italian here. I never stopped to consider just how convenient living in Milan is; I took for granted the metro service every 7 minutes and lamented the small number of shared bikes. This video is a strange point-of-view shot for me, really fascinating and eye-opening that public transport noise can be ASMR! Please reach out if you need videos or pictures of Milan, Italy. I find what you do beautiful and important, and I would be happy to be of help.
I will also be visiting Madrid and working remotely from there for a couple of months. I also live in the Sunbelt, so your experience speaks directly to me! I’m also a Transportation Planner. Are you me from the future?!
Vale, venga, vamos! This is so exciting! I was amazed walking around Puerta del Sol and Chueca there. Even though crowds suck everywhere, there was just an underlying and organic flow. Shout out 100 Monteditos.
I love how in European cites in the evening the streets are packed with people window shopping or just having a chat.
I am from Spain, if you visit our cities you will have a good leg and you will eat good food. Good video also the shot of the Principe Pio station at 12:29 just 10/10. You have to show that in Las Vegas and get rid of Teslas shit in a tunnel... and all that promotional crap.
Pontevedra is an example that can also be done in smaller urban centers, and completely remove the car, also the city is spectacular, It's like a mini Paris without cars, all pedestrianized. Many cities in Spain, if not all, were already perfect for walking and now more than ever.
There are many talisman cities in Spain, its entire coastline is an abundance of pearls. With unique architecture.
By the way, some of the houses you see are in the mountain style 'Montañes' and 'Castellano'.
“Madridanos in particular just like being around each other. Observing that as an American - uh that’s just very weird behavior.” City nerd is my favorite.
It’s a sad commentary but true in many places. The social fabric in the US is frayed to put it mildly.
Spain is a great place to live & visit. Great transit too. I look forward to some of your ASR clips, CityNerd.
Fun timing, I was also there this weekend (for the first time) and wow what a city! The center is essentially perfect, loved the Lavapiés area, though I was surprised to see how some "posh" neighborhoods still consisted of very wide avenues and very long pedestrian lights, notably north&west of the Retiro park or around Argüelles.. Coming from Paris, these areas gave me kind of a New York-y vibe. Also the weather was perfect this weekend
So much good content here. Lived in Madrid from 2018-2020 and commuted on the Madrid Rio from Principe Pio down to the Amazon offices in Delicias. Going home each evening on my bike was like slalom through the crowd. Madrid folks love to get out. Best cycling solution is to ride during siesta on weekends when all trails become ghost towns!
Man I'm gonna have to try that. I did not bike in Madrid at all!
@@CityNerd it’s a decent cycling city OUTSIDE the center. You have Casa de Campo, The Anillo (ring trail around the entire city), and a number of Vias Verdes that start at the end of the metro like the one that starts in Arganda del Rey (SE terminus of the 9 metro).
I love Madrid! I got to live there for a couple years like 10 years ago. Their public transportation system is 1,000 years ahead of anything in the US.
I think that Madrid is actually my favorite city, and I've traveled quite a bit.
There's always plenty of value in showing the problems in typical US cities but I'm especially liking these videos that show there's an actual path to fixing them.
Slagging terrible urban form in US cities is so fun though! But yeah, gotta have some solutions on the table. Thanks!
Pedestrian streets are great but as a Dutchman I don't like one aspect of them: you cannot cycle there...
As a Dutch person with mobility issues: agreed. A bike just doesn't work as well when trying to use it as a walker..
Counterpoint: As a pedestrian, I love being in an environment where I don't have to worry about getting hit by *any* oncoming vehicle, even bikes. Also, you can always have parallel cycling routes!
I dont think Madrid is a good place to cycle... There are tons of very prononced hills, It is not like the netherlands
What if you do anyway?
@@danielkostenko8189 you can get a ticket
Welcome to Spain! Would love to see your take on Barcelona. Perhaps a focus on our superilles (super blocks). They started again in earnest in the famously car-ridden neighborhood of L'Eixample and I can see them slowly transforming that part of the city every day they get closer to completion!
As a transportation planner, I re-fell in love with Madrid, even more than Barcelona. just an amazing city
So excited to see you here in Europe & looking forward to see Europe from your perspective!
I took a vacation to Spain in 2019, I feel like it really influenced my views on city planning/transportation
I liked your Vegas content. You successfully accomplished “Comit to the bit” by living car free there(or car-less, or is it car reduced) . Hey have a great stay in Madrid your content is opening my eyes to this new perspective of urbanism. (New to me at least)
Haven't been to Madrid since 2018 - so amazing to see all the changes since then! I'll have to go back, really want to check out Madrid Río, looks amazing.
Wow, that metro asmr took my back to my days in Madrid 10+ years ago. Thank you very much for sharing that!
Love seeing city nerd expand into Europe!! This is really fascinating, I thought you sticking to mostly just the US (and often Las Vegas) was honestly holding back the possibilities of what you could cover
I'm all for seeing everything good and walkable about Madrid because I will be making a stop there in May on vacation with my partner and we plan to spend the entire time carless, availing ourselves of public transportation as much as possible. This video shows a ton of cool places we can go while we're there!
So so happy you highlighted Madrid and Spain. Would love to see you explore Barcelona and Seville. I went to these places in 2019 and fell in love. What about the idea of Public History, Plazas, Monuments as an idea for an episode?
Fuencarral is pedestrian only from morning to late afternoon on Sundays and maybe some public holidays. And same goes for paseo Del Prado, Madrid pedestrianizes long sections of various streets all around the city on Sundays. It’s great.
I love seeing this! I lived in Madrid in 2006-07 as a student and found it super walkable and urbanist THEN (coming from a suburban US background and only a couple years at a wonderfully walkable, but small, university town). Between the smoking ban (not implemented back in '07!) and the incredible changes shown in this video, I want to get back even more.
It’s as if you read my mind! The past couple weeks I’ve been looking at a few places for career opportunities, and while most of the studios im looking at are in California, which I’m kinda meh about going there, there was one that caught my eye located in Madrid. While i’m kinda familiar with what California is like, I’m not at all familiar with Madrid (i’ve only been to Spain once and I only stayed in Barcelona). Thank you for such an informative and interesting video!
Thanks!
Welcome!
Love this. This is rapidly becoming one of my favorite RUclips channels, and lo and behold, today it features a city I know well and love. I remember the car-centric Madrid of the 90s and I have seen it evolve up until today. Great to see you there, hope you stay long!
Lovely! Since you're in Madrid, you should definitely get into the 19th and 20th century urban planning of the city. I've been studying Modern Spain and the city went through A TON of change in the last hundred years.
Thanks for visiting my city!!!, I hope you can travel to other cities in Spain like Barcelona or Bilbao which also have had major urban development to reduce car infrastructure. Saludos!
Also Sevilla and Vitoria!
@@jorgea5426 Of Course, y en general todas las ciudades de españa estan bastante mejor que eeuu.
Thanks for your content!
My pleasure!
Love the addition of the ambient audio! I think it adds a nice layer of depth to the video
You should take a look at Fort Worth’s Central City Project for Panther Island. It’s taking a huge, mostly unused chunk of land near downtown, and adding high density development, and potentially a street car
I live in ft worth, I just moved here 9 months ago, but I've heard it's going to be awhile before Panther Island is complete. I'm looking forward to it though
@@EvanEscher yeah, i think they say it will finish in 2029. better later than never tho! My pfp was actually taken on panther island
I lived in Madrid for a short time ten years ago, such an awesome and underrated city. I found it infinitely walkable back then, can’t wait to go back. This video is giving me serious nostalgia pangs, you even highlighted my old neighborhood of Chamberí
Great video! Loved that you visited Spain. I do hope though that you didn't stay at AirBnB while there. AirBnB contributes to a housing crisis wherever it spreads and Madrid is no exception.
They close the street in front of the Museo del Prado every Sunday for cars! That was awesome!
Congratulations on your move, CityNerd! Exciting!
Great video!
A Spanish suggestion: you should do a video about cycling culture in Sevilla. Although recent, cycling became very popular in less than 20 years.
Nice to see some in-depth reporting from a city making real efforts to make life more pleasant! I might take issue with the Madrid Metro though. I spent four or five days in Madrid a few years ago and found the Metro system unusually difficult to figure out and navigate. I found the map and fare system almost indecipherable (ok, it had been a long flight), and despite written directions still managed to go astray on the journey from the airport to Centro. 🙂
This is really encouraging! Looking at those clips from the 90’s, that looks just like a bunch of American cities where people say “well, European cities are just different!”
The transformation of plaza del sol is amazing, first.went to Madrid in 2002 and it was a car chocked place with smallish areas for people to gather. I have not been to Madrid since 2009 but even then I could see the change happening. It's great to see it become such a people friendly place if only cities in North America can learn.
So, one of the best and most beautiful cities just became better? Awesome
I was just in Madrid. I found it cool to see all the car-restricted areas around Centro. Also check out Valencia. I'm there right now, and the bike infrastructure and park integrations are incredible.
Love the idea of Urbanist ASMR! Not sure if you’re serious or not, but I already enjoy putting on NYC walking videos as background noise sometimes haha.
I’ve been watching your content for a long time, always appreciate your videos and the work you put into them!
Wow, when you started the video and talked about moving to a more Spanish-Castllian city I was thinking a city in the Southwest US, not actually Spain itself!!! I've not actually been to Madrid recently, but if it's like other major Spanish cities a few things made me smile. Firstly your comment of a restaurant only opening at 8.30pm made me think, wow that's really for Spain, where when I first went people actually go out to eat at 10pm, or even midnight!!!
As for pedestrianisation, I think it is happening all over Europe as city centres change from being mostly retail to a mix of retail and entertainment destinations, where cars aren't necessary, and aren't wanted. You are right that it could only be implemented well where there is already quality transit options to get you into the centre (although smaller cities can still pedestrianise a few main, central streets, or at least restrict motor vehicles) so could places like New York, Chicago, or San Francisco, for example even start to do this? I guess there need to be cultural shifts before you do this, and I have to say it more trust between people (and less guns, and crime in general).
Good on you! We are working on our 5 year plan to hopefully move from the Bay Area to (probably) Valencia.