With all the attention we here at GreenGoPost.com and at
Triple Pundit have given to cities that are models of
resilience and
sustainability, there are cities that are leading examples of the successes, and challenges, of leading green.
Amsterdam is one city that comes to mind immediately as a
model of
sustainability. And why not? Home to the
Global Reporting Initiative, small and compact, home to gorgeous
farmers markets, and full of eye candy
bicycling everywhere, Amsterdam and much of the
Netherlands shine for its healthy lifestyle and forward thinking.
Not everything is perfect in this European jewel: nearby is the
world’s largest flower auction that spews out carbon emissions faster than many international airports, and its reliance on
incineration as part of its
waste diversion agenda has its fair share of critics. A dubious
public transport plan has raised eyebrows as well.
Falling into one of its canals should be left off of your itinerary. The Dutch indulge in their fair share of
consumerism, too, evident in a walk along
Kalverstraat, one of its most popular shopping streets. But on that street is a new store that has done its part to minimize its environmental impact--with some chic fashion sense.
Levi’s last month
opened a new two-story store on Kalverstraat. The 2700 square feet (250 square meters) store’s interior is full of reused, restored and repurposed materials. Old bicycles, which are among the more benign objects tossed into the city’s canals, are mounted all over the shop’s floors and walls. Repurposed steel pipes painted in a variety of colors (using no-VOC paint, we hope) give an illusion of scaffolding. And old church doors and benches now sport piles of
jeans. Recycled wood is
all over the store: the cash desk, for instance, was built from old floorboards from another store’s location. Old boats and other second hand goods make up the store displays. In sum,
the store is a winner, and embodies Dutch sensibility as much as sustainability.
The project’s path from conception to completion was not seamless.
Como Park, the lead design agency, was at first over budget and a delay in permits actually gave its team time to rethink the layout. By letting the store show off its brand while allowing the interior reflect the city in which it is located, this store on a crowded Dutch street is an example that other stores would do well to follow.
Photo courtesy of Levis.
About The Author
Leon Kaye
Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division,
GGP Media.
Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event.
His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
He writes for San Francisco-based
Triple Pundit,
Inhabitat and now
The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's
Architect Magazine.
Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.
With all the attention we here at GreenGoPost.com and at Triple Pundit have given to cities that are models of resilience and sustainability, there are cities that are leading examples of the successes, and challenges, of leading green.
Amsterdam is one city that comes to mind immediately as a model of sustainability. And why not? Home to the Global Reporting Initiative, small and compact, home to gorgeous farmers markets, and full of eye candy bicycling everywhere, Amsterdam and much of the Netherlands shine for its healthy lifestyle and forward thinking.
Not everything is perfect in this European jewel: nearby is the world’s largest flower auction that spews out carbon emissions faster than many international airports, and its reliance on incineration as part of its waste diversion agenda has its fair share of critics. A dubious public transport plan has raised eyebrows as well. Falling into one of its canals should be left off of your itinerary. The Dutch indulge in their fair share of consumerism, too, evident in a walk along Kalverstraat, one of its most popular shopping streets. But on that street is a new store that has done its part to minimize its environmental impact--with some chic fashion sense.
Levi’s last month opened a new two-story store on Kalverstraat. The 2700 square feet (250 square meters) store’s interior is full of reused, restored and repurposed materials. Old bicycles, which are among the more benign objects tossed into the city’s canals, are mounted all over the shop’s floors and walls. Repurposed steel pipes painted in a variety of colors (using no-VOC paint, we hope) give an illusion of scaffolding. And old church doors and benches now sport piles of jeans. Recycled wood is all over the store: the cash desk, for instance, was built from old floorboards from another store’s location. Old boats and other second hand goods make up the store displays. In sum, the store is a winner, and embodies Dutch sensibility as much as sustainability.
The project’s path from conception to completion was not seamless. Como Park, the lead design agency, was at first over budget and a delay in permits actually gave its team time to rethink the layout. By letting the store show off its brand while allowing the interior reflect the city in which it is located, this store on a crowded Dutch street is an example that other stores would do well to follow.
Photo courtesy of Levis.
