How The Netherlands Turned an Oil Crisis Into a National Opportunity
About this episode
This episode explores how The Netherlands transformed an oil crisis into an opportunity for urban redesign and sustainable living.
What if a crisis isn’t just something to endure, but a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink everything? In this episode, I'm unpacking the idea of “crisitunity” (yes, inspired by Homer Simpson!) and exploring how a moment of disruption can become a catalyst for lasting change. I'm taking you all the way back to 1973, when another global oil crisis brought The Netherlands to a standstill. Instead of waiting and hoping for normalcy to return, they made a bold decision: redesign their cities, prioritise people over cars (even banning them one day a week), and build what would become the world’s best cycling infrastructure. Fast forward to 2026, and Australia is facing its own version of that moment—rising fuel prices, fragile supply chains, and a heavy dependence on imported energy. So the question is: will we just ride it out… or capitalise on this opportunity? This episode explores what’s at stake, what’s possible, and why the choices we make right now could shape the future of how we move, live, and build a more resilient country. LINKS Sign up to the Better Than Yesterday newsletter Watch episodes of Better Than…
People in this episode
Host: Osher Günsberg
Topics covered
- crisis management
- urban design
- cycling infrastructure
- energy dependence
- sustainability
- opportunity in disruption
Keywords
- crisitunity
- oil crisis
- The Netherlands
- cycling
- urban planning
- Australia
- energy crisis
- sustainability
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: So What? Now What?
Places: The Netherlands, Australia
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