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
As a child I spent a lot of time in the garden with my parents: flowers with my mother, vegetables with my father. We moved a lot, and it was important (at least for my mother) that when we moved into a new house, the flowerbeds were there and waiting. Although not quite guerilla gardening,… Read More Balcony Garden Bliss
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
The Urban Observer 