I love fall: the air is fresh, the sun sits lower in the sky and the colors almost pull you outside, begging for exploration. In Amsterdam, this is always best by bicycle. With the city and its surroundings turning yellow and orange, the Amsterdamse Bos (a 1000 hectare park) is a perfect destination for a cycle… Read More Biodynamic farm on the edge of the city
In September 2012, I attended the Amsterdam Harvest Event, hosted by ‘Farming the City’ and Cities Magazine. Local farmers and urban agriculture enthusiasts were invited to sell their produce (produced in or around Amsterdam) or share ideas. At the Harvest Event, I learned about Cityplot. “City Plot is an urban farming collective that supports people… Read More Urban Compost: it’s all about the worms
My fervent enthusiasm for the bicycle-way-of-life comes from my own perspective. I do not (yet) have children, and I rarely transport anyone but myself – save for a ‘double-bike’ if a friend has a flat tire or left their bike at the wrong location. And fairly, I often get the comment from friends (who are… Read More Family-friendly transport: lifecycle by bicycle
One of my favourite reasons to walk or bike is the ability to have a random encounter with something extraordinary. The other day, while wandering the streets of Amsterdam with a friend, we came across the creation of a beautiful street-side mosaic. What was once a bland electric box slowly transformed into a new city… Read More Stumbling upon urban public art in the making…
I am a big fan of city cycling. Of course, this requires that cities have the right infrastructure, or are willing to invest in it. But infrastructure isn’t everything. Cycling has to be appealing: time-efficient, healthy, environmentally-friendly, money-saving, sophisticated and fun. Every year, the ‘Noorderzon Jazz Festival’ is held in the Dutch city of Groningen.… Read More Jazz, blues & bikes
This post comes a bit late, but it’s so fun & so Dutch, I had to share. Since coming to the Netherlands 2 years ago, I have moved 4 times. This can be a bit unsettling, but I was looking for the right place. 🙂 First, I lived in the small town where my university (Wageningen University… Read More Carbon-free moving
In Summer 2012 I attended a PhD course on ’Climate Adaptation Policy’ in Reykjavik; rather apropos considering climate change has (and will continue to have) noticeable consequences for Iceland. Simultaneous to these consequences, Iceland has made efforts to reduce emissions (notably investments in geothermal energy). Still, per capita emissions remain high, specifically emissions from heavy industry,… Read More Artsy & Icelandic: creative approaches to curb inner-city driving
If you asked me my favourite thing about the Netherlands… The Netherlands is the most densely populated, and the flattest, country in Europe. This can be difficult for someone like myself, accustomed to mountains. In the beginning I felt claustrophobic, unable to escape or see a high point on the horizon. With time though, I’ve… Read More Dutch bicycles
A simple infragraphic presented on Treehugger about the benefits of cycling: saving money, loosing weight, reducing stress and anxiety, as well as numerous other health benefits. Enough said, it speaks for itself… Created by: HealthcareManagementDegree.com
As a child, my favorite memories were of the woods behind my grandparents’ summer house. My cousins and I would spend hours out there, eaten alive by mosquitos, not caring if it was rainy or sunny. At the time, I was uninterested in urban landscapes; I associated ‘urban’ to the vast and monotonous enclaves of American… Read More A nature lover in the city
The Urban Observer 