Category Archives: Urbanism

Trees and People in the City:

Posted on April 9, 2021 by moselman

Normally when you think about the cultural heritage of a city you tend to think about famous buildings, public squares and streets rather than about greenspaces and trees. However this needn’t be the case. Trees in urban areas are increasingly … Continue reading →

Posted in History & Culture, In Scotland, Trees & Greenspaces, Uncategorized, Urbanism | Tagged Admiral Adam Duncan, Camperdown Elm, City of Dundee, community woodlands, cultural heritage, Dundee's Tree and Woodland Heritage, exotic tree species, greenspaces, street trees, Tree of Liberty, trees, Wych Elm | Leave a comment

In Kathmandu

Posted on February 1, 2021 by moselman

No tour of Nepal would be complete without Kathmandu; what a colourful, chaotic, crazy and fascinating city the Country’s characterful capital really is – no less than an assault on the senses at times ! I was fortunate enough to … Continue reading →

Posted in History & Culture, Urbanism, World | Tagged 2015 earthquake, Bagmati River, Bhaktapur, Boudhanath Stupa, Budhanilkantha, Dashain, Dewali, Durbur Square Patan, Ganesh Himalaya, Ghats, Haribondhini Ekadashi Mela, Hinduism, Kathmandu, Kathmandu Durbur Square, Lalitpur, monkeys, Newar, Pashupatineth, Sadhus, Shiva, Shivapuri Hill, Street dogs, Swayambhunath, Teej, Temple restoration, Tibetan Buddhism, Tihar, UNESCO World Heritage, Vishnu, VSO Nepal | Leave a comment

Season of Mists

Posted on October 12, 2015 by moselman

Autumn is my favourite time of year to be out and about exploring the woods, fields, moors and meadows of the surrounding countryside. As well as the vibrant red, gold and orange hues of wild cherry, maples, birches and beech, there are … Continue reading →

Posted in Aachen & Euregio, In Europe, Trees & Greenspaces, Urbanism, Wild Places | Tagged autumn, autumn colours, biodiversity, birch, conkers, cultural landscapes, fly-agaric, foraging, Hohes Venn, mushrooms, norway maple, steuobstwiesen, street trees, sweet chestnuts, Urban Greenspace, urban trees, wild cherry, wild harvests | Leave a comment

Charlemagne’s Warriors

Posted on April 30, 2014 by moselman

A haunting spectacle could be viewed in recent days behind Aachen’s ancient octagonal cathedral; ranks of solemn, stately figures could be seen lined up in neat rows, oddly reminiscent of the terracotta Emperor’s Warriors or the Lewis Chessmen. The figures celebrate the 1,200th birthday of Charlemagne, the Dark Age … Continue reading →

Posted in Aachen & Euregio, History & Culture, In Europe, Urbanism | Tagged Aachen, Aachener Dom, Charlemagne, Charlemagne's Throne, Emperor's Warriors, Euregio, Lewis Chessmen | Leave a comment

Tuscan Towers: Medieval Highrise of San Gimignano

Posted on April 3, 2014 by moselman

As I surveyed the lush, rolling hills, woods and vineyards of the Tuscan landscape from the medieval hill town of San Gimignano, I couldn’t help but wonder why the Romans ever bothered to head off to invade hostile enclaves and dark forests of Northern … Continue reading →

Posted in History & Culture, In Europe, Urbanism | Tagged corporate culture, Ghibellines, Guelphs, Italy, medieval architecture, Milan, San Gimignano, skyscrapers, spirit of place, Tuscany | Leave a comment

In Psychedelic Fields

Posted on March 29, 2014 by moselman

You don’t have to visit coffee shops to enjoy psychedelic experiences in the Netherlands. We visited the Alkmaar area in April to be greeted by stunning displays of colour in the surrounding tulip fields. If this wasn’t enough, I went … Continue reading →

Posted in In Europe, Urbanism | Tagged Alkmaar, bulb fields, coastal dunes, coffee shops, habitat restoration, Holland, Netherlands, tulips, windmills | Leave a comment

Around Salzburg and Berchtesgaden

Posted on August 12, 2013 by moselman

I first visited Salzburg twenty years ago on an icy, monochrome January day. I was on a ski holiday in nearby Zell am See with an old school friend and we had opted for a day’s break from the pistes to go by train for look around the world-renowned baroque … Continue reading →

Posted in History & Culture, In Europe, Mountain Treks, Urbanism, Wild Places | Tagged alpine meadows, Austria, bavaria, Bavarian Alps, Berchtesgaden, Eagles Nest, ECONNECT, Hohnensalzburg, Jenner, Kapuzinerberg, Königsee, Kehlstein, Mönchsberg, Obersalzburg, Obersee, Salzburg, Salzkammergut, Sound of Music, St Bartholoma, St Gilgen, Third Reich, Untersberg, Watzmann, Wolfgangsee, Zwölferhorn | 1 Comment

Ghost Trains in the Urban Jungle

Posted on August 2, 2013 by moselman

It could be a vision straight from a post apocalyptic sci-fi movie; a real-life “Planet of the Apes”. Trees and dense shrub vegetation encroach over former railway tracks, sidings and marshalling yards. Abandoned steam locomotives, rusting water towers and mysterious structures loom out of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, History & Culture, In Europe, Trees & Greenspaces, Urbanism | Tagged Berlin, Environmental Art, environmental education, graffitti, Green Networks, history, Industriewald, pink floyd, planet of the apes, Südgeländ, Society for Urban Ecology, spirit of place, SURE, Urban Forestry, Urban Greenspace, woodlands, zombies | Leave a comment

Brave New Worlds

Posted on May 11, 2013 by moselman

A High-Rise Future ? Our cities are changing and not just in Eastern China or the Gulf States; on a recent visit to Milan, I turned a corner in one of the City’s older districts to be confronted by a towering utopia of shining … Continue reading →

Posted in In Europe, Trees & Greenspaces, Urbanism | Tagged High Rise, Milan, sustainable development, Urban change, Urban Forestry, urban planning | Leave a comment