I’ve seen just about anything carried on a bicycle in Amsterdam: multiple cases of beer, furniture (including tables or chairs), Christmas trees, strollers, several suitcase balanced on both arms (while still cycling) or a few children distributed for weight balance. I’ve even gone a bit Dutch myself: moving twice across Amsterdam with a bakfiets (cargo bike). Nothing really… Read More Amsterdam: Dutch dogs know how to ride…
I started this blog to describe the cities and urban initiatives that inspire me or generate thought. Perhaps in some way I hoped it could also serve as an informal platform to share these interesting, creative, or even goofy, ideas with other interested cities or urban actors. So, I was quite happy when a friend… Read More Mechelen: Three Cheers for Cyclists
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
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
Photo taken from Grist. Detroit has had a rough recent period of history. Since the 1950s, more than a million people have left, fleeing as Detroit’s industrial base dwindled. Despite bankruptcy, unemployment and crime, Detroit has also attracted artists and urbanists. It has become famous for creative uses of abandoned buildings and infrastructure. Artists, such as the Heidelberg Project and the… Read More Detroit: Abandoned Buildings Offer New Urban Skiing Challenge
Admittedly I’m North American – proudly from Seattle. However, after 10 years living in Budapest, Malmö, Nairobi & Amsterdam and with a Swedish mother, I’ve become a modge-podge of sorts: European as much as anything, especially in my transportation habits. I haven’t driven in 10 years and anymore I’m scared to get behind the wheel.… Read More Copenhagen cycle culture through North American eyes…
Paris has an amazing public space project underway along the River Seine that I’ve followed for the last several months. It intends to permanently deviate vehicular traffic along some of the city’s busiest roads, transforming a few kilometers of this arterial into a cycling and pedestrian zone: full of cafés, art and entertainment spaces, bike paths and floating… Read More Paris: reclaiming the city for cyclists & pedestrians – an update on Les Berges
I was recently in Copenhagen, Denmark for the Nordic Environmental Social Sciences Conference. Afterwards, I took a few days to return to one of my all-time favorite sustainability stars – Malmö, Sweden. Having studied and worked in Southern Sweden, I always enjoy returning ‘home’ and remain fascinated by how these two cities continue to drive… Read More Copenhagen & Malmö: Scandinavian sustainability superstars
In May 2013, I was in Reykjavik for a PhD course on Climate Adaptation Strategy and Economics at the University of Iceland. It was coordinated by the Nordstar Research Programme (my second time to the Icelandic capital with Nordstar). Reykjavik has a great small-city meets big-city feel, with many fun surprises worth blogging about. This is the second… Read More Reykjavik: the city as a canvas
At Gustav Adolfs Torg (c) Inga löjliga bilresor Malmö / Jens Lennartsson photography For several years in Malmö (Sweden) May was “No Ridiculous Car Journeys” campaign month, or in Swedish Inga löjliga bilresor. This campaign, launched in 2006 and repeated for several springs, includes animated displays, a dose of humour and a competition for the “most ridiculous car driver.” In one of… Read More Malmö: No Ridiculous Car Journeys
The Urban Observer 