The big difference in Amsterdam is how cars are not really welcome in the city center - and the drivers feel it. Access to many roads is restricted for private cars, almost every street is one-way, and practically everyone regularly rides a bike or walks.

This makes drivers respect the non-armored road users (pedestrians and cyclists) and streets are actually pleasant places to spend time in. Almost everywhere else city planners have basically said: "let's just turn this city into a giant racetrack slash parking lot".

Things are only slowly starting to change but at least some people are actually thinking about giving cities back to the people that live there: http://www.carfree.com