netherlands

There are two ways to react to global warming: you can fear it, or you can embrace it. Architect Koen Olthuis of Dutch design firm Waterstudio chooses the latter. His Citadel apartment building, part of a larger water-management development project called New Water in the Netherlands, is the first floating apartment complex in the world.

Ahhh, marathon Sunday. Pull on the spandex, pack up the Gu, and…strap on your ice skates? This is marathon-ing, Dutch-style. Since 1909, the Dutch have taken wildly to the frozen streets to cheer on participants in the Elfstedentocht, the 11-city, 125-mile grueling skate race completed on ice through Holland's extensive system of canals and across frozen lakes. That is, when the temperatures are low enough and the ice is thick enough.

Portland is arguably the furthest along of any American city as far as far as bicycle-friendly infrastructure goes (Seattle and Davis are close seconds). But none of them even approaches the level of cultural saturation prevalent in the Netherlands; the grand Mecca of cycle commuting. That is not to imply the American cities' efforts are futile, I mention the disparity only to convey the weight behind a statement this week from the Dutch Cycling Federation calling on the government to mandate the installation of air bags on cars. On the outside.