Tagged: urban nature

The green square in front of Saint Lawrence Church in downtown Rotterdam

5. July 2024

Greening Rotterdam

I don’t hesitate on this blog to point out places in the city that could be less stony. But then I also need to show when things seem to be going well, concerning greening and sustainability. So, in the beginning of summer 2024, here’s an ode to the urban nature of Rotterdam. An encouragement to keep going in the right direction! Greening “Wow, it’s clear that the Dutch excel in sustainability,” said one of the Flemish civil servants I guided through Rotterdam a few weeks ago. Well, to be honest… I actually felt that the greening of Roffa was progressing… Read More

The tramtracks at Coolsingel in Rotterdam: unnecessarily paved with street tiles

Photography

26. November 2022

Nominees for the Tile-Flipping Championships

Over the past two years, the Dutch Tile-Flipping Championships have been organized. A competition between cities to replace as many pavement tiles as possible with grass, shrubs or other greenery. Also in my neighbourhood I can think of places where some tiles could be taken out. Greening Apart from facilitating a bit of healthy rivalry, the Dutch Tile-Flipping Championships also have a more serious goal. If you replace pavement tiles with nature, you make your city more climate-resistant, more biodiverse and, above all, more beautiful. I don’t have any tiles I could flip: I live on the tenth floor of… Read More

Brienenoord Island in Rotterdam, the Netherlands with tidal nature and trees in autumn colors on a sunny day in October

Photography

6. November 2021

The Transformation of Brienenoord Island

There are few cities with a nature island within their borders. Both in the Netherlands and abroad I don’t know many examples. Rotterdam does have one. Okay, not really in the middle of the city, but well within the municipal boundaries and even (largely) within the Ringroad. We are of course talking about Brienenoord (pronounce breen-a north), separated from the rest of the city by a river channel named Zuiddiepje (which translates as Little Southern Deep) Van Brienen The island is 1400 meters long and about 200 meters at its widest point. It has been around since the early 19th… Read More

Branches and red leaves of a sweet gum tree (liquidambar styraciflua) in the Park in Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Photography

28. November 2019

Autumn in Rotterdam: a Tree Tour

I hardly have to tell the reader why it’s good to have trees in the city. They purify the air, they absord CO2, they make it slightly less hot in the summertime and they retain water after heavy rain showers. And of course they also make things more beautiful. This decorative function is most obvious in two periods: spring and autumn. Trees that in previous months were fairly inconspicuously bare or green, suddenly burst out into a feast of color. Now that the meteorological (and photographic) fall is over, this blogpost aims to give a small, totally incomplete, tour of… Read More

Close-up of a bee hovering near a purple phacelia flower on a balcony in Rotterdam, Holland

Various

19. July 2019

Bee Bistro in Downtown Rotterdam

We have to support the bees, because these are hard times for them. Whatever the reasons are, it’s a fact that their numbers are decreasing; some species are threatened with extinction or are already extinct. And that’s not only sad for the bees, it has the potential to turn out pretty sad for ourselves too, since many crops need bees for pollination. Hotels Fortunately, in recent times bees can count on a lot of support. Bee hotels are popping up everywhere: structures with a lot of wood, reeds and other natural materials in which the little creatures can make their… Read More

Close up of moss and other small vegetation on an old brick wall in Delfshaven, Rotterdam, with boats, quay and houses out of focus in the background

Photography

9. April 2014

Urban Nature in Delfshaven

When thinking of urban nature, most people envision trees, gardens and parks. But also on a smaller scale beautiful landscapes and ecosystems can be discovered. This picture was made in a downtown Rotterdam neighbourhood called Delfshaven, at the roadside terrace of city brewery De Pelgrim. Inspired by a delicious glass of their Dubbellam beer.

De witte bloesem van sierkersen in de lente op de Van Oldenbarneveltplaats in Rotterdam

Photography

22. March 2014

Flowering Cherries in Rotterdam

Trees in the city, I love ‘m. But I’d love a little variation as well. In Rotterdam there are so many plane trees that even I, traditionally a big plane tree fan, get a little bored. But fortunately sometimes a different species is chosen, and how beautiful that can be seen at Van Oldenbarneveltplaats. Since a few days the flowering cherries there are in bloom. The experts are not yet sure whether they’re Prunus Avium or Prunus Serrulata. One week each year It is a pity that the stunning beauty lasts only a week, but hey, that’s nature. And that… Read More