London Is Calling Its New Pedestrian- and Bike-Friendly Zones 'Mini-Hollands'

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the Dutch should be pretty pleased with recent plans underway in London.

Right now, the city is remodeling three new zones it’s calling “Mini-Hollands”—cycle- and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods that it hopes will act as flagships for the transformation of the rest of London. Introducing properly segregated cycle lanes, more pedestrian areas, and traffic-calming measures in ways that reflect long established Dutch practices, these zones secured up to £100 million ($155 million) in funding from Transport for London last year. This summer and fall, the first parts of the zones are being officially launched.