Jason Roberts of Dallas, Texas shares his story on “how to build a better block.” Following a trip to various European cities about 10 years ago, Roberts was struck by the livability of European city streets and public spaces – by bike, by foot, as well as spaces and places for the young and old… Read More Taking over Texas, starting with Oak Cliff: one bike lane at a time
Every day circa 36% of Copenhagen’s population commute to work or school by bike – the city government aiming to get this to 50% by 2015 to (further) reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from daily transport. Already today, roughly 50% of Copenhageners use bicycles on a daily basis for errands or exercise – equating to over… Read More Rush hour in Copenhagen – by bike
For all TED Talk lovers out there, this is a great one. Pam Warhurst of Todmorden, England, discusses “Incredible Edible” – an initiative she cofounded to bring urban agriculture back to towns & cities; this has now spread to 30 cities and towns across England. She describes actions taken in Todmorden (population 15,000) to contribute to… Read More Food: a language linking all urban residents
As the days get longer and winter draws to a close, the time to prepare the fields for the coming spring season approaches – not just in the countryside, but also in the city. While it is still too early to plant outside, preparations of the garden beds are already underway. In Amsterdam, I am… Read More Preparing for the spring: urban agriculture style
In Amsterdam, sunshine is a rarity (despite what photos or postcards may depict). But when the sun shines, the city is magical. Sunshine dances off the canal waters onto old brick buildings; locals and tourists cruise by in boats; families and pet-owners pile into Amsterdam’s parks and every (outdoor) chair at every café is packed… Read More Amsterdam snow days
In November/ December 2012, the UN Climate Conference (COP18) took place in Doha, Qatar. Expectations were low from the start, with most parties setting their sights on 2015 when world leaders are expected to construct an agreement strong enough to stay below 2° Celsius of warming. Doha served as a bridge: from the former agreement, towards a… Read More Doha hope: UN climate meetings, suburban sprawl – and a potential for city cycling?
The City of Bonn, Germany sits on the Rhine River and has historic roots dating back to the Roman period. It is also the birthplace of the famous composer Beethoven – a pride point for the city. Bonn, population circa 325,000, boarders Germany’s wine producing region to the South, and to the North, the cities… Read More Bonn: cycling down by the River Rhine
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
While Paris is famous for the Louvre & the Eifel Tower, it also has a world-class metro system featuring 300 stations & 16 lines, covering 10×10km of central Paris. What is not accessible by metro, is serviced by bus or bicycle – including Paris’s Velib bike-sharing system, with 200,000 bicycles & 1800 docking stations. There is simply… Read More Paris: public transport and entertainment in one
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
The Urban Observer 