Fritz Schumacher: The Man Who Built Modern Hamburg
How one architect’s ideas from a hundred years ago still shape the way we live, walk and cycle through Hamburg today.
Latest
Fuhle: Life Along Hamburg’s Most Numbered Street
From number 1 to 792, I take you along Fuhlsbüttler Straße to show you why it deserves a place among Hamburg’s famous streets.
Why Doesn't Hamburg Have a Public Project Board?
A public Kanban board could make Hamburg’s projects more transparent and strengthen democracy by showing citizens how public money is being spent.
All Too Near: How Altona Became Hamburg's Danish Rival
A walking tour led me into the story of Altona, the Danish-ruled city that grew beside Hamburg by offering freedoms its powerful neighbour did not.
Boberger Niederung: Eight Habitats in One Nature Reserve
A short trip to Boberger Niederung revealed a side of Hamburg I never expected, with sand dunes, lakes, woodland and gliders all in one nature reserve.
How good is Hamburg’s cycling infrastructure?
What is the Copenhagenize Index, and what does it show about where Hamburg’s cycling infrastructure is doing well and where it is falling behind?
Animals of Hamburg: Our Wild Neighbours
Discovering Hamburg’s wild neighbours inspired me to build Tiérdex and pay more attention to the animals around me.
Fifty Shades of Klinker: The Bricks That Shaped Hamburg
From historic warehouses to modern homes, Klinker has shaped Hamburg’s colors, character, and identity for generations.
Visiting Elbwald for the first and perhaps last time
A Sunday bike ride led me to Elbwald, where nearly 400 grown trees face removal to make way for the expansion of Hamburg’s port.
Greenest cities in Europe, and where Hamburg stands
Most “greenest cities” lists measure the wrong things, and I believe the 3-30-300 rule offers a better way to measure how green a city really is.
Why does Apple have an office in a small town close to Hamburg?
This was the question I had after reading a job ad on Apple's jobs page.
Wahlhamburger
It doesn't matter where you were born, it only matters where you feel at home.
Nature
Hamburg's Stadtpark: A Park Built to Be Used
In 1914 Hamburg built a park for people to use rather than admire, and more than a century later that is still what it is.
Micro Mobility
Shared mobility is great. The parking isn't.
Hamburg has great transport options, but shared micro mobility still has one problem the city hasn't solved.
Tech
When will Hamburg move away from Microsoft?
Hamburg is becoming more dependent on Microsoft while only beginning to explore open-source alternatives.
Cycling
A love letter to my favourite Fahrradstraße in Hamburg
I grew up watching cartoons on Fox Kids, like The Kids from Room 402, What’s with Andy?, and Life with Louie. One thing I often saw in these cartoons was children going to school by bike. Sadly, this was not common in Turkey, where I grew up, because the
Food
The Coffee Belt Runs Through Hamburg’s Roasters
Hamburg’s coffee history is still alive in its local roasters, where beans from 31 countries find their way into the city.
Politics
Why is direct democracy still signed on paper?
Hamburg has a strong system for direct democracy, but popular initiatives and popular petitions still rely on paper signatures. Is it time to allow digital signing?
Public Transportation
The New Bus Departure Displays Nobody Asked For
One of Hamburg's small everyday symbols is quietly disappearing, and the replacement is worse in almost every way.
Food
Vierländer Platte: The Unexpected Hamburg Tomato
A tomato from Hamburg that unexpectedly tasted like the ones I grew up with, soft, juicy, and full of that simple, unmistakable tomato flavour I had been missing in Germany.
Politics
Hamburg said NO to the Olympics, and the map tells a story
Hamburg said NO to the Olympics, but a look at the map reveals a striking pattern: the richer the district, the more it voted YES.
Politics
Hamburg Spent 2.5 Million Euros to Convince You. Did It Work?
On May 31st, Hamburg votes on whether to host the Olympics. The YES side wants you to feel excited. The NO side wants you to think.