Galleries

Stockholm Urban Nature: city of water, city of parks, city of seasons

The Swedish capital is a vast and varied city – in addition to being exceptionally beautiful. Palaces, stately buildings and impressive museums, allude to Stockholm’s role in history and current affairs. Narrow cobbled streets, flanked by ancient brick buildings painted in warm pastels, wind through Gamlastan (Old Town) inviting locals or visitors for a quick… Read More Stockholm Urban Nature: city of water, city of parks, city of seasons

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Blurred lines in New York City governance: whose job is it to save our seas?

**This is a guest blog post, by Dr. Megan Bailey, postdoctoral researcher at Wageningen University, working in the Best Tuna Research Project.  The oceans are in trouble; this is nothing new. Their health is plagued by plastics, pollution, acidification, and overfishing. While many fish species have been overfished, or are currently subject to overfishing, the… Read More Blurred lines in New York City governance: whose job is it to save our seas?

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Skyscraper farming: roof gardens in Beijing, New York, Hong Kong & Montreal

I’ve formerly boasted of my roof terrace garden in Amsterdam – growing and harvesting fresh herbs, salads and berries from spring, through summer, and into the autumn. My roof terrace offers the opportunity to connect to local food production while living in the city. I’m not the only one who enjoys rooftop gardening. Some of the… Read More Skyscraper farming: roof gardens in Beijing, New York, Hong Kong & Montreal

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Riga: visualizing wasted space of the car versus the bicycle

Bicycle transport is touted for its many benefits for cities: improving air quality, providing exercise, saving money or reducing traffic. Equally, cycling can help save something that all cities desperately require more of: space. To visibly display how much space vehicles require for driving – in particular during the morning commute – cyclists in the Latvian… Read More Riga: visualizing wasted space of the car versus the bicycle

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The “how to” of becoming an urban cyclist…

Having spent the last 10 years living (or regularly visiting) established or emerging European cycle cities (e.g. Budapest, Basel, Malmö, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Paris) it’s safe to say: bicycling is in my blood. This is not just a European thing. I’ve tested urban cycling infrastructure during visits to Abu Dhabi, Medellín, Seoul and Doha. While a city’s walkability and public transport… Read More The “how to” of becoming an urban cyclist…

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Paris: The Les Berges public space project, equally impressive a year later

Last summer I visited Paris’s latest and greatest public space project, Les Berges, located on the banks of the River Seine. I recently returned to Paris and was curious to see how it looks, one year later. Les Berges continues to amaze me: 2.3 kilometers of former roadway are now dedicated as public space, featuring bars… Read More Paris: The Les Berges public space project, equally impressive a year later

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Euro-cycling, urban agriculture and an adventure of a lifetime…

In August 2014, I met 3 French agronomy students from Montpellier University cycling through Europe to examine urban agriculture trends and innovations. We met to discuss Amsterdam’s Food Vision and to visit the garden I volunteer in (Curious Finch). While I don’t usually write about travel stories (save for urban interesting planning/ sustainability strategies…) their story is inspiring and I wanted to… Read More Euro-cycling, urban agriculture and an adventure of a lifetime…

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Happiness is… a bicycle lane, a bus stop or light rail line close to home.

I love my bicycle: the freedom, the chance to combine fresh air, exercise and transport, the interaction with fellow cyclists and the affordability. Cycling makes me happy… and I’m not the only one. Daily cycling (i.e. consistent exercise) is good for mental health and the bicycle’s consistent and perpetual motion can improve memory, reasoning and planning, while… Read More Happiness is… a bicycle lane, a bus stop or light rail line close to home.

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Amsterdam: Dutch dogs know how to ride…

I’ve seen just about anything carried on a bicycle in Amsterdam: multiple cases of beer, furniture (including tables or chairs), Christmas trees, strollers, several suitcase balanced on both arms (while still cycling) or a few children distributed for weight balance. I’ve even gone a bit Dutch myself: moving twice across Amsterdam with a bakfiets (cargo bike). Nothing really… Read More Amsterdam: Dutch dogs know how to ride…

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