Urban sustainability initiatives are my passion; and while bicycles lanes, solar panels and urban farming are my favorite blogging topics, a sustainable city also requires eco-entrepreneurs. After all, sustainability is for more than just treehuggers – it’s also about looking good, living well and eating delicious, healthy (eco) food. Enter eco-boutiques for trendy urbanites: a… Read More Amsterdam: eco-boutique & café in one
Food logistics & food trade are complicated issues these days and they don’t always make sense. In the Netherlands for example, almost as many potatoes are imported as exported: there are strict guidelines which often prohibit Dutch farmers from selling potatoes inside the country. As a result, it may be easier to buy potatoes from… Read More Amsterdam: urban food revolutions | power to the pieper (potato)
In Zurich, most citizens hop on their bikes at least two times a week and it is quickly becoming another one of Europe’s cycle cities. Some people, it seems, don’t want to hop off their bikes – not even when enjoying a cup of coffee. So this city, with a great cafe culture and blossoming… Read More Zurich: drive-in cafe for the urban cyclist
As spring and summer again approach the Northern Hemisphere, here’s a fun idea for a picnic, party and bike – all in one. Shared on Bike Bistro‘s page with credit to Fat City Cycles – but originally of Swedish design – this bike combines a picnic basket, stereo system, air pump and other gadgets into one bike. Perfect… Read More Parks, bikes & picnics – all in one
Former mayor of Curitiba, Jaime Lerner is a city evangelist. For Lerner, the city is not a problem; it’s a solution. An architect and urban planner by training, he brought many innovative strategies to his Brazilian hometown of Curitiba during his terms as mayor (1971–75, 1979–84 and 1989–92). The now famous bus rapid transport system… Read More Curitiba: visions of a better city & creative solutions to get there
Broken glass in the bike lane, a flickering public light fixture or an overflowing waste bin? (Or here in Amsterdam… litter in the canals.) Dislike! Such are the problems of urban living… sigh. But they don’t have to be. Thanks to a new ICT (information communication technology) innovation called PublicStuff, citizens can interact directly with local authorities… Read More Talking cities: ICT tools for better urban environments
The Urban Observer 