No one likes to sit in traffic, and city traffic is the worst. But equally, when we step out of the car (or hopefully off the bus or metro) in a city, our pedestrian activities remain dictated by cars. We can only cross at designated points; we wait for traffic lights to cross the street – hopefully still… Read More Cars versus people: depicting battles over urban public space
In December 2015, I attended the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) and other ongoing events at the COP, joining almost 40 members of the IISD Reporting Services team in Paris. My team covered the Rio Conventions Pavilion – linking the 3 UN conventions on biodiversity, climate change… Read More Paris COP21: Tonight we celebrate, tomorrow we act…
I’m happy to see more and more emphasis on cities and urban actors, for their efforts to shape sustainable and prosperous futures, and address environmental challenges, such as climate change. After all, this was the topic of my recent PhD dissertation. Of course, I am far from the only one jumping on the cities as a problem… Read More Lessons from cities to green the economy – free online course
On Christmas Eve, Santa is a busy man – taking his (hopefully eco & star-powered) sleigh pole-to-pole and across oceans and continents. If you want to know his exact location, Norad and Google offer ‘Santa tracker sites’ to follow The Claus. Yes, this is a busy man and many families eagerly anticipate his arrival. On his off-time though, Santa has been… Read More Milwaukee: Cycling Santas Welcome the Holiday Season
I’ve spent some time in the Emirati cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, in conjunction to work (re: international negotiations on renewable energy and combatting ozone depletion). They are quirky places: desert cities full of massive skyscrapers, fancy cars and more restaurant chains that I knew existed. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are some of the wealthiest cities… Read More Abu Dhabi & Dubai: far from people-centred planning
In July 2015, I defended my PhD, entitled Urban Climate Governance: The Role of Local Authorities. Afterwards, a Danish friend (also a recent PhD graduate) and I took a spontaneous 2-week hike in Lappland, Northern Sweden, on Kungsleden (The Kings Trail) to celebrate the occasion and achievement. Below is a selection of my journal entries and our… Read More Two weeks on Sweden’s Kungsleden: trading the city for an Arctic wander
Copenhagen is one of the world’s most sustainable cities. It’s famous for its organic and local food procurement, its cycling culture, its public planning, and its climate change adaptation efforts (see Copenhagen Climate Adaptation Plan). This city is too inspiring for a single blog post, and indeed I’ve written about it several times before. Still,… Read More Copenhagen Urban Innovations: Smart. Sustainable. Spatially-saavy.
Sitting in the middle, somewhere in between: Between a history of empires and a present booming growth, Between traditional cultures and modern trends, Between continents, Between religions, Between adherence to regimes and civil society movements, Between the transitions of civilization. Perhaps this is the appeal of this magic city: the intrigue, the mystery, the perplexity it reflects,… Read More Istanbul: Past, present, future
As much as I love Amsterdam city life, one of the things I value most is how easy it is to escape – and to escape by bike. I’m on a constant quest to find the perfect mix of city and nature, preferably in close proximity. After all, I’m a Seattle girl, and value easy… Read More Amsterdam: Good City, Good Nature
I rarely use my blog for personal stories, outside my interactions with cities. Still, I’m happy to report my PhD dissertation, entitled Urban Climate Governance: the Role of Local Authorities, was accepted for publication and public defense at Wageningen University! I’m excited and relieved, finding out on my birthday. As I look to the defense, I also reflect… Read More Moving forward in reflection: alumni speeches and MESPOM memories
The Urban Observer 