People have asked me multiple times about why I am posting content related to Ukraine on this channel. I want to make a post aimed at addressing most of these questions. I understand that I have a large international audience and why I am doing this might not be clear to everyone.
1. First of all, I hear you.
Build the Lanes is first and foremost a channel that discusses and explores the science of transportation design and transportation planning. Its not about politics or war. That is why I decided to create a seperate youtube channel called 'Steffen Goes to Ukraine' to upload content that does not relate to this core topic in any obvious way. I might make an occasional post about a fundraiser, but that will be about it.
2. Why make any content at all related to Ukraine?
I moved to Ukraine in June 2025. I live here now so it makes sense to make content about where I am living. Just like how I made almost exlusive content about the Netherlands while I was living in the Netherlands. In many ways, Ukrainian cities are more similair to North American cities and seeing solutions here might lead to some inspiration to people living across the pond.
It's also because of one of the core reasons that I chose to enter this field of work to begin with. Transportation is involved with almost every aspect of life. Especially in wartime. There are valid topics to think about and explore. Such as, how can metro stations double as air raid shelters if a city comes under air attack? How can flow roads be optimized to help first responders get to where they need to go? Does pavement need to be designed differently to handle the loads of heavy vehicles such as tanks or to double as an emergency runway for aircraft? How can people get to safety quickly if car roads are blocked and things such as gasoline are in short supply? How can train companies keep up reliable service in a war environment?
These are really important topics that shouldnt have to be explored because we should want a world without war or violence. But so long as these things exist, we need to understand these as transportation professionals.
3. Why are you volunteering for the military?
I get asked this a lot by people who tell me that they are opposed to war. Therefore they wont get involved in any way because they dont want to support anything that leads to death and destruction.
My honest reply to this is that I think that this is something that you can only believe if you live an extremely priviliged life. In my opinion, it takes two sides to make peace and only one side to start a war. The world is full of unecessary wars that are driven by pettiness and short sighted leaders who would often prefer to see their citizens die than to put their ego aside and work out a compromise. But that does not mean that that is the case for EVERY war. Sometimes it is just as simple as a dictator in one country would like to conquer new territories and people, and the other side is left with the choice of resistance or acceptance of a cruel occupation. Before you rush to condemn people who choose resistance, take some time and talk to people who have experienced a military occupation with no rights and hope for a bettter future for themselves or their families. A violent occupation can be the opposite of peace. Try to understand what it would feel like to be powerless to prevent the abduction of your family members because someone in a position of power has decided that they might have information that is needed. There are many people in this world that would rather die trying to stop that from happening to their home and loved ones, and in my opinion, that is an honorable choice, not something to be condemned.
I understand that some of you reading this might not agree with me, and thats ok. Maybe you disagree so strongly that you want to unsubscribe, and thats also ok. This is an intensely personal choice and I dont expect everyone to understand it. We should live in a society where we can disagree on topics and be free to choose our own futures. But I hope that what almost everyone reading this will understand, is that I made this choice so people in Ukraine and Europe can keep having this basic freedom that should be a human right everywhere.
4. Thank you all of your for you well wishes and the concern. I do read them and appreciate them very much.
Build the Lanes
People have asked me multiple times about why I am posting content related to Ukraine on this channel. I want to make a post aimed at addressing most of these questions. I understand that I have a large international audience and why I am doing this might not be clear to everyone.
1. First of all, I hear you.
Build the Lanes is first and foremost a channel that discusses and explores the science of transportation design and transportation planning. Its not about politics or war. That is why I decided to create a seperate youtube channel called 'Steffen Goes to Ukraine' to upload content that does not relate to this core topic in any obvious way. I might make an occasional post about a fundraiser, but that will be about it.
2. Why make any content at all related to Ukraine?
I moved to Ukraine in June 2025. I live here now so it makes sense to make content about where I am living. Just like how I made almost exlusive content about the Netherlands while I was living in the Netherlands. In many ways, Ukrainian cities are more similair to North American cities and seeing solutions here might lead to some inspiration to people living across the pond.
It's also because of one of the core reasons that I chose to enter this field of work to begin with. Transportation is involved with almost every aspect of life. Especially in wartime. There are valid topics to think about and explore. Such as, how can metro stations double as air raid shelters if a city comes under air attack? How can flow roads be optimized to help first responders get to where they need to go? Does pavement need to be designed differently to handle the loads of heavy vehicles such as tanks or to double as an emergency runway for aircraft? How can people get to safety quickly if car roads are blocked and things such as gasoline are in short supply? How can train companies keep up reliable service in a war environment?
These are really important topics that shouldnt have to be explored because we should want a world without war or violence. But so long as these things exist, we need to understand these as transportation professionals.
3. Why are you volunteering for the military?
I get asked this a lot by people who tell me that they are opposed to war. Therefore they wont get involved in any way because they dont want to support anything that leads to death and destruction.
My honest reply to this is that I think that this is something that you can only believe if you live an extremely priviliged life. In my opinion, it takes two sides to make peace and only one side to start a war. The world is full of unecessary wars that are driven by pettiness and short sighted leaders who would often prefer to see their citizens die than to put their ego aside and work out a compromise. But that does not mean that that is the case for EVERY war.
Sometimes it is just as simple as a dictator in one country would like to conquer new territories and people, and the other side is left with the choice of resistance or acceptance of a cruel occupation. Before you rush to condemn people who choose resistance, take some time and talk to people who have experienced a military occupation with no rights and hope for a bettter future for themselves or their families. A violent occupation can be the opposite of peace. Try to understand what it would feel like to be powerless to prevent the abduction of your family members because someone in a position of power has decided that they might have information that is needed. There are many people in this world that would rather die trying to stop that from happening to their home and loved ones, and in my opinion, that is an honorable choice, not something to be condemned.
I understand that some of you reading this might not agree with me, and thats ok. Maybe you disagree so strongly that you want to unsubscribe, and thats also ok. This is an intensely personal choice and I dont expect everyone to understand it. We should live in a society where we can disagree on topics and be free to choose our own futures. But I hope that what almost everyone reading this will understand, is that I made this choice so people in Ukraine and Europe can keep having this basic freedom that should be a human right everywhere.
4. Thank you all of your for you well wishes and the concern. I do read them and appreciate them very much.
1 month ago | [YT] | 198