I’ve formerly boasted of my roof terrace garden in Amsterdam – growing and harvesting fresh herbs, salads and berries from spring, through summer, and into the autumn. My roof terrace offers the opportunity to connect to local food production while living in the city. I’m not the only one who enjoys rooftop gardening. Some of the… Read More Skyscraper farming: roof gardens in Beijing, New York, Hong Kong & Montreal
Bicycle transport is touted for its many benefits for cities: improving air quality, providing exercise, saving money or reducing traffic. Equally, cycling can help save something that all cities desperately require more of: space. To visibly display how much space vehicles require for driving – in particular during the morning commute – cyclists in the Latvian… Read More Riga: visualizing wasted space of the car versus the bicycle
Having spent the last 10 years living (or regularly visiting) established or emerging European cycle cities (e.g. Budapest, Basel, Malmö, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Paris) it’s safe to say: bicycling is in my blood. This is not just a European thing. I’ve tested urban cycling infrastructure during visits to Abu Dhabi, Medellín, Seoul and Doha. While a city’s walkability and public transport… Read More The “how to” of becoming an urban cyclist…
Last summer I visited Paris’s latest and greatest public space project, Les Berges, located on the banks of the River Seine. I recently returned to Paris and was curious to see how it looks, one year later. Les Berges continues to amaze me: 2.3 kilometers of former roadway are now dedicated as public space, featuring bars… Read More Paris: The Les Berges public space project, equally impressive a year later
In August 2014, I met 3 French agronomy students from Montpellier University cycling through Europe to examine urban agriculture trends and innovations. We met to discuss Amsterdam’s Food Vision and to visit the garden I volunteer in (Curious Finch). While I don’t usually write about travel stories (save for urban interesting planning/ sustainability strategies…) their story is inspiring and I wanted to… Read More Euro-cycling, urban agriculture and an adventure of a lifetime…
Stepping off the train in Amsterdam and meandering into the city centre, it quickly becomes apparent what a blue city Amsterdam is – you can’t miss the canals, but you can get lost in them. Walk (or bike) a bit further though, and Amsterdam’s green side also shows. Ivy and various flowers climb old brick buildings,… Read More Amsterdam: Public Art Expos and Sesquicentennial Celebrations
An avid city cyclist, I must admit: there is one automobile trend that has caught my attention – electric cars. While countless cities are beginning to provide better electronic mobility infrastructure and access, Amsterdam is quite literally leading the “charge”. The city’s e-mobility scheme has been acknowledged in both the Korean Times and the New… Read More Amsterdam Electric
Wandering central Amsterdam’s historic canals, gazing up at crooked old warehouses-turned-apartments, one can feel the city’s rich history. Few cars are brave enough to challenge the bicycles on the narrow canal streets, resulting in a peaceful quietness in the heart of Amsterdam. Occasionally, horse-drawn carriages pass on the cobbled canal streets and I find myself… Read More Amsterdam: Evolving History
My love of “a good city” stems from a belief that high quality, mixed-use and dense urban living can ensure that the natural places I love endure. While I originally thought to write about Amsterdam in this regard, I will move that to Part Two of the Good City, Good Nature series (if I can call… Read More Seattle: Good City, Good Nature
It’s that time of year again in the Northern Hemisphere: it’s cold, dark way too soon (if the sun even shows) and often rainy. To compensate, cities fill with colourful lights and decorated trees. I’ve done a bit of decorating, but just the bare minimum – what I can get on a bicycle and up… Read More Three years and counting: Amsterdam Cycle City
The Urban Observer 