A few things to look and listen for in the film . . .

sounds:
-glass breaking: there is a large glass recycling container just off camera to the right in the median; you will hear the occasional crash of glass bottles

-metal clanging: the grocery store next door keeps metal stocking racks on the sidewalk just off camera to the right; you will hear these being moved around and stacked up

-children playing: off camera further to the right is a small playground in the median, and you will see children running toward it and hear the sounds of their playing

See if you can spot (explanations for non-Dutch viewers): 
TINY CARS: you will notice a large number of ultra compact (1-2 person) vehicles. These “light e-quadricycles” sit between bikes and cars in terms of legal status as well as size and use. With a top speed of 45kph, most are electric, although a few older models have loud two-cylinder engines. They are incredibly nimble—watch for them parking perpendicular between two parked cars, for example.

CAR and SCOOTER SHARE: The compact red cars with a large white circle on the door (usually parked on the far side of the Elandsgracht median) are from GreenWheels, a car sharing service. You will also notice scooters share services Felyx (the dark green scooters often parked in the median) and Check (the white ones). Such vehicle sharing services play an important role in Amsterdam’s efforts to de-prioritize cars. Sometimes, they are needed, and car shares distributes those times between fewer cars and more people.

WHITE X PARKING SPOTS: On the far side of Elandsgracht in the film’s frame are four parking spots, with one reserved for handicapped parking and one for car share cars. The white X marking is another peculiar but effective Amsterdam infrastructure design. Spaces so marked can be reserved (for people with disabilities, for example) but in general they mean that parking there is discouraged but not necessarily illegal (gedoogd maar onwenselijk: tolerated but not desired). In practice, this means that people opportunistically use them for loading a car or doing a quick errand, but they also often free. Very occasionally long-term parkers will get towed (see if you spot it). The ambiguity of the marking is intentional, a part of the design: not regulating by degree but through design nudges.

BLUE-TIRED BIKES: A significant percentage of bikes going by have a distinctive blue front tire. These are Swapfiets bikes; the Dutch company leases bikes for a monthly fee of around €20/month for basic models. If there is every any problem, you can just stop by one of their locations and get it repaired then and there, or swap it out for another. Not great for the many, many local bike shops, but the company (founded in Delft in 2014) is expanding rapidly across Europe. The local bike shop on Elandsgracht recently downsized its space due to rising rents, and a number of such shops have closed. Partly for this reason, the city of Amsterdam makes new businesses in the inner city demonstrate that they are serving primarily local residents and not tourists to get their operating permit.

FAT TIRE BIKES: These large e-bikes are legally limited to 25kph, but grey-market imports and simple modifications are able to reach 50kmp. They are widely loathed by traditional bikers—their speed and size make them dangerous. They are also associated with young ethnic minorities and lower socio-economic status—making critiques of them morally problematic in famously tolerant Netherlands. All the same, the police have started cracking down, at least on flagrant offenders, and Amsterdam is considering banning them altogether from Vondel Park.

PEOPLE PICKING BOTTLES AND CANS OUT OF THE TRASH CAN: Recently introduced regulations (2021, 2023) put a deposit on virtually all plastic and metal containers. Much lauded as an environmental measure—and a necessity in a country where landfill is at a premium—it has had the unintended side effect of encouraging folks to go through garbage cans to collect bottles and cans, leaving many receptacles with trash strewn around. The city has begun installing doneerringen (metal holders mounted on bins where people can place their returnable containers) so that collectors can gather them easily. As you will see, they have not yet reach our Elandsgracht trashcans.

WHEELCHAIRS ON THE STREET: Slowing down traffic and making roads more bike friendly has the huge added benefit of making them much more accessible to those with mobility issues. It is common to see electric wheelchairs on fietsstraten, for example. Slower traffic also empowers pedestrians, as you will note in their crossing the street.

AMAZON AND OTHER DELIVERY CARGO BIKES: Look for these large e-bikes, usually with a covered area for the driver and a panel cargo area in the back. Such “freight cycling” is regulated as e-bikes, making it extremely attractive for companies (no driver’s license needed, for example), and they can carry more than 250kg.

GROCERY SHOPPING: I filmed next door to a popular and relatively large Albert Heijn grocery store. You will see many people stopping for groceries: pulling up on their bikes or walking, grocery bags in hand; and then later, leaving, with a few days of supplies or just quick snack.

RECYCLING: Paper, cardboard and glass underground recycling containers are in the median to the right, off camera. You will see people (individuals, couples, families, kids on their own) bringing their recycling.

RIDING TWO OR MORE ON A BIKE: Note the many Dutch variations of sharing a one-person bike: the other person on the middle bar, on the handlebars, on the back rack, and so on.

HAULING STUFF: See what folks carry on their bikes: pets, children, musical instruments, furniture . . . you never know what you might see.