People go to Paris for different reasons: for fashion, for shopping, for museums or monuments, for romance or for fun. We took the train from Amsterdam to Paris (as it were, for the final leg of the Tour de France). It was a sunny summer Parisian weekend, good for exploring the city’s highlights. In addition to… Read More Paris: big, green & bicycle-friendly
Short & sweet, but worth watching this short video. Leave it to the Dutch to find fancy new ways to make cycling safer, more convenient – and high-tech. BBC discusses with innovative designers of cycling infrastructure on possible future strategies to increase cycling in the Netherlands (more than current rates!!) One of the key messages… Read More Futuristic cycling
I was in Geneva, Switzerland for the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. I attended the 24th Meeting of the Parties (MOP24) as a writer with IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin. The Montreal Protocol is hailed as the most successful environmental treaty of its kind, signed by 197 countries.… Read More Geneva: free public transport for tourists, but locals prefer the bike
My first impression of Berlin was boxy, geometric and structured. This, however, deserves some context. I stayed next to its central train station (Hauptbahnhof) which opened in 2006 on the border of what used to be East and West during the Berlin Wall (1961- 1989). Today in and around this area stand many of Berlin’s most impressive… Read More Berlin: a big city with history (and bicycles)
Copenhagen is famous for its walking streets & the colourful buildings of Nyhavn – best explored by foot or bicycle. It is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world; and this is no accident. The city is planned that way. Already in the 1970s, stubborn and foresighted architects &urban planners challenged the Danish capital to… Read More Copenhagen Colour
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
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
The Urban Observer 