Mobility Moshpit 20

✨ 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!

SHOCK THE GRIDLOCK 2025: BE PART OF THE CHANGE!

On October 23, 2025, we invite you to Haarlem for a one-day critical exploration of the values, systems, and defaults that shape our streets, our cities, and how we move within them.

🎤 Hosted by The Lab of Thought, Marco Te Brömmelstroet and Jonne Kuyt, will stage a range of international speakers, field activists, and policy provocateurs that will bring a high-voltage mix of insight, field labs and instructions on how to break away from the status quo.

From tactical urbanism to rituals of resistance, from Just Streets to post-car politics — this is not your average mobility event.

🗓️ Full program drops mid-August
🎟️ Ticket sales start early September

Want to stay in the loop for program and early-bird tickets?
👉 Drop your email here

A NEW VISION FOR VOORBURG-NOORD

The city of Leidschendam-Voorburg has unanimously approved a new Neighbourhood Vision for Voorburg-Noord, co-developed with residents and supported by The Lab of Thought. Set to be implemented in 2027 alongside sewer upgrades, the redesign will rebalance street space using the 10 Dimensions of Public Space, a methodology rooted in the Design Guideline Liveability of Public Space.

Currently dominated by car traffic, the area will shift toward a more inclusive approach, giving space to ecology, social interaction, and active mobility. Through participatory workshops and collaboration with De Plekkenmakers, the process aligned municipal policy with residents’ values, leading to a widely praised and future-oriented vision.

Read the full document

Want support rethinking your own streets? Reach out to welmoed@thelabofthought.co

FIFTY YEARS LATER: TIME TO RETHINK THE STREET AGAIN

In 1975, fierce protests in Amsterdam’s Nieuwmarkt district marked a turning point in Dutch urban planning. Citizens took to the streets to oppose demolition and car-centered development, and succeeded in transforming cities across the country. Today, we face a new crossroads.

Despite bold visions for healthier, more livable cities, implementation often stalls. From speed limits to paid parking, resistance is fierce, and politics struggles to respond. One reason? Mobility policy has become technocratic, driven by models and norms instead of public debate. Another reason is the narrowing of our political imagination: movements that once questioned car dominance have been absorbed or neutralized.

If we want streets to reflect today's values—climate resilience, social equity, public health—we need more than technical solutions. We need courage, civic energy, and political will. Cities like Zwolle and Wageningen show it’s possible. But to move forward, we must re-learn how to challenge the status quo. Read the full article here.

HOW TO TALK ABOUT TRANSPORT WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORT

In one of the standout episodes of the People & Projects series on the Streets and People podcast, Marco te Brömmelstroet shares his journey from curious urbanist to leading voice in the mobility transition. In conversation with Wendy Nash, he reflects on how car dependency shapes our cities, and how shifting our mindset can unlock healthier, more playful urban futures.

Marco challenges us to look beyond traffic models and rethink how we design cities, focusing instead on social well-being, children's autonomy, and public space as a shared, living system. His call: stop talking about transport, and start talking about what kind of life we want streets to support.

Listen to the episode here:
People & Projects S1E44 – Marco te Brömmelstroet