On Sunday, we went for a ride with Ronald to a master planned suburb of Utrecht. I have frequently associated suburbs with a reliance on cars, but in this town, this is not the case. Most of the people who live in Houten are commuters, but the difference between here and many other suburbs is that Houten is built for biking and rail transit. In fact, you can’t drive through Houten. There is a road that circles the city, and from that road it is possible for cars to drive as guests on a few bike streets to access individual neighborhoods. Cars can essentially get from their home out of the town, but they can not get through the city. Bikes are the primary mode of transportation in the town, and the train provides easy access out of the city. It is less than a 10 minute train ride to Utrecht, but biking is also an easy option to get to the city. It is only a 25 minute bike ride of river views and quaint farm land to Utrecht’s city center, all along safe and comfortable bike routes.
When we biked there, we stopped along the river for a nice swim. We rode through forests and along canals from there. There are many small towns that are quite picturesque on the way to Houten and I think if you’re going to live in a suburb that seems like a pretty ideal situation.
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