Amsterdam Reduces It's Own Carbon Footprint

For the past few years everyone from every single direction has been shouting at us that we should reduce our carbon footprint. But what about the government? municipalities? cities?
The Dutch capital of Amsterdam took a step in the right direction.

flickr image by francescomontalbano

So what happened?

Recently the city council and a few other parties managed to agree upon a new concept. "City Cargo". This is all about using the current tram-tracks (for people unfamiliar with trams: a tram is a sort of a train but then riding on the street) for cargo. Today there is a load of small companies situated in Amsterdam who all get their deliveries done by polluting Diesel vans. In the future this cargo shipment should be done by the trams. Which is great since trams use electricity and thus don't contribute to a bad quality of air in the city center.

Furthermore the schedule of the new cargo-trams has been created in such a way that they don't interfere with the passenger trams. Amsterdam is such a great place.

via:treehugger

-jdh

Hotel Experimenta

A hotel usually gives you everything you need to get through your day. A bed, a bathroom and preferably a bit of food. So theoretically you don't have to get out of the hotel building to survive.

With this idea Dutch designer Jan Konings created Hotel Experimenta. It's consists out of just one room, but that one room has a view.

What appears to be a blue/green colored box with a vague purpose turns out to be a hotel. As Konings himself calls it "an inverted hotel", you can't stay in to get your breakfast; you have to get out.

The moment you make your reservation for Hotel Experimenta the streets turn into the hotel corridors, the city becomes the lobby and the city's inhabitants facilitate the activities and guest services.

As it's name says, Hotel Experimenta is an experience. It's part of a design exhibition in Amsterdam which is stretched throughout the city, and reservations are welcome until 2 November.

Hotel Experimenta

-jdh