[KingMachiavelli]

> my commute is only 8 minutes though

I bet that's the secret. I just commented comparing the Netherland's climate to Denver and while they are comparable at the end of the day it seem it must be the commute distance that really makes it work in Amsterdam. In this case, you're commute is about as long as it takes me to walk to work after I park my car.

[oftenwrong]

The best-kept secret of Dutch biking: the Dutch hardly bike at all:

https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/best-kept-secret-dutch-bikin...

edit: (I decided to submit this article: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21399793 )

[huseyinkeles]

It's not the case for everyone in Amsterdam, I decided to live in a studio in the city center, while majority of my colleagues live in the outskirts, big houses with the same rent I pay, commuting around 20-30 minutes, and still cycle :)

[hannasanarion]

You can easily have a commute that short in Denver if it's important to you. Mine is just fifteen minutes on foot from Uptown to CBD, too short for even a bike to be worth the effort most days. It's probably one of the most bike-commute-friendly cities in America.

[davidw]

That's part of it. In most places in Europe, it's legal to build housing, every-day amenities like grocery stores and cafes, and offices in close proximity.