Mobility Moshpit 17

✨ Hello pioneering minds!

The Lab of Thought wants to challenge the way we think and act about mobility and the spaces we live in. We love to question the narratives that have shaped our motonormative mindset and explore alternative ways of seeing, thinking, and doing. Curious? Let's go!

SECOND WEEK OF JUST STREET HELD IN THE NETHERLANDS

Early April the second week of the Just Street took place in The Netherlands. This week is organised by The Lab Of Thought and an alliance of organisations to change the conversation about our streets and road safety. What if streets are for people instead of vehicles?

During the week events were hosted throughout the country and Zwolle as a host-city went an extra mile to work on better streets for its citizens. The Week focuses on changing the lense we use to look at our streets, showcasing best-practices, imagining the future and giving people perspective to change their streets today.

The final event of the week is the election of the most just and unjust street of The Netherlands. Streets were nominated throughout the country and it showed we have a long way to go. With a manifest signed by thousands of people and hundreds of organisations the Just Street Movement in The Netherlands is alive. Time to claim back our streets!

SHIFTING BLAME ISN’T ROAD SAFETY

Personal safety choices—whether it’s wearing a helmet, ear warmers, or a ski suit—are entirely up to the individual. That’s not up for debate.
The real issue begins when governments present bike helmets as a primary solution to traffic safety. Worse still is a national campaign like “Put it On”, where the Minister of Infrastructure and trauma surgeons address children with this unspoken message:

“We won’t reduce car speeds. We won’t keep SUVs out of school zones. But here’s a helmet—wear it, and if something happens, it’s on you.”

This is not protection. It’s deflection.If we’re serious about road safety, then policy—not personal gear—must take the lead. That means fewer cars, lower speeds, car-free school streets, and road design that truly protects all road users. None of those measures appeared in the ministry’s plan. Not one. This is Motoronormativity: the unchallenged belief that cars come first, and everyone else must adapt. That’s why we launched a counter-campaign—to expose this narrative, and to trigger the debate the government refused to have. The response? Overwhelming support—nationally and internationally. Even The New York Times took notice. Read the article here.

INTRODUCING: THE LAB OF YOU

You’ve overwhelmed us: with your generosity, your encouragement, and your desire to get involved. Thousands of messages, offers to volunteer, and words of support have moved us deeply.

As a small organization, we haven’t always had the capacity to respond as fully as we’d like. But we like to change that.

Our mission is to grow cognitive leniency into the way we think about and design our streets. And to truly make an impact, we believe in empowering you, our community, to lead change where you are.

That’s why we will be launching: The Lab of You in Q3. A new platform to share knowledge, tools, and opportunities that help you build local expertise, communicate with clarity, and drive real momentum in your neighborhood, city, or organization.

In the coming months, we’ll update our website with:

- Opportunities to join research, field labs, and projects
- Playbooks and tools to launch your own local initiatives
- New ways to learn, connect, and contribute

We’ll keep you posted, and we’d love your input to shape what comes next!