Take a look at the traffic patterns in major cities around the world during the 1920s. This restored footage brings the era to life with remarkable clarity, letting viewers feel the mood and pace of streets long past. No fancy speculation is required to grasp how different urban centers handled the daily rush. The scenes reveal a world in motion—cars, trams, and pedestrians sharing crowded avenues in ways that echo into today’s discussions about urban transport and planning.
Common belief often links heavy traffic to modern metropolitan growth alone. Yet the footage shows that congestion has been a recurring feature for more than a hundred years. Early city planners and drivers faced challenges of limited road space, uneven adoption of new vehicles, and evolving traffic rules. The clip invites viewers to compare how distinct cities—each with its own geography, climate, and infrastructure—navigated these hurdles, revealing that the struggle to move people efficiently is a long and shared urban experience.
These recordings have been meticulously restored by NASS, a YouTube creator specializing in film restoration. The video presents a panorama of traffic life across multiple major cities, highlighting how vehicles, pedestrians, and public transportation interacted on busy streets. The visuals also capture iconic buses of the era, including the recognizable double-decker models that became synonymous with urban exploration and commuting in crowded city centers.
Photo, video: YouTube