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Sunday Video: High Oil Prices Can Make Better Cities

Stephen Fesler - August 16, 2026
Not Just Bikes shows how a street in the Netherlands got better after the 1970s oil crisis. (Not Just Bikes)

The latest global oil crisis has been precipitated by an Trump's illegal war in Iran, disrupting global oil supply. The war is nearing its sixth-month mark with no end in sight, and as a consequence oil prices are very high. And while that is certainly problematic to the well-being people in the United States and across the global, past oil crises have led to better cities and environmental outcomes, as Jason Slaughter of Not Just Bikes shows in this video.

The 1970s oil crisis nudged the Netherlands to prioritize bike, pedestrian, and transit investments over cars. Likewise, Canada responded by planning and investing transit projects. France adopted widespread use of nuclear energy, which is still in use today. American regulators adopted better fuel efficiency for motorized vehicles. With the latest global oil crisis, how will cities and countries respond now?