The Urban Detective

13/12/2023

Bicycle tour 🚲in ll Residents and entrepreneurs of De Esch showed special places and shared their dreams and concerns for the future. A lot is about to happen here in terms of & . Residents and building owners work together to incorporate De Esch's core values ​​into all plans.

is a yearly event by photos by

23/07/2023

is one of the fastest growing cities in . A young city compared to other #
Southeast-Asian capitals such as Bangkok or Jakarta.

Most  buildings are 'not even' 150 years old. But standing next to all their tall, younger brothers, like the iconic , they feel centuries older to me.

However, most of the colonial has been modified to use local resources and adapted to the local climate, which is hot and humid all year around.

Much more functional and architecture than the energy consuming, glass, skyscrapers of the (post)modern capitalist era. Architecture that is now copy-pasted to almost every big around the world.

14/07/2023

Floating Mosque 🌊🕌 ll Unlike the name suggests, this modern Malaysian is built on stilts. Only at high tide would it have the appearance of floating on water. 

After expanding two times already, there simply wasn't enough space on land anymore. Thus came the idea to develop a bigger mosque out to the sea. One that can hold up to 1500 people!

The scarcity of land and growing local Muslim community signifies the rapid and development of in .

Smart solution, although would be to actually make it float.

05/07/2023

When I mention Singapore, often people - especially those who have never been there - respond with: " Dont trow trash on the street or even eat chewing gum, you will get fined!"🚨

I knew Singapore's reputation for being clean, organized and safe, but how much of that is caused by superstrict law enforcement?

Indeed, big, visible punishment threats everywhere. With serious consequences (even lashes!) for (sometimes) relatively small offences. But I have not seen a single police officer in 3 days. Also, people do violate the rules: not wearing a helmet, crossing a red light.

What do you think of Singapore:
- Safe, clean and very pleasant.
- Way too strict and superficial.
- Both.
- None.
- Other...

02/09/2022

New family member: Lilly❤️!!
Little Mrs. Urban D.🔍
21-08-2022

16/07/2022

How can we involve the residents of the large cities in Holland, in the discussions about the housing crisis on our convention? Can we use an for that?

Of course! What a wonderful challenge! I immediately dived into the neighborhood at various places in Rotterdam, The Hague and Leiden. Looking for ideas, concerns and dreams on themes such as , and .

Various short videos kept the planners sharp during the debates. It's wonderful to see how the ideas of residents can enrich the conversation in this way. Huge thanks to all respondents for sharing their knowledge and experiences!

25/05/2022

Photo of the week
📍Chiang Mai, Thailand

10/05/2022

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29/04/2022

Boeddhism in the city 🙏🏽

The national religion of Thailand, Theravada Buddhism, is at the core of its society. Also in the city, Buddism is always around the corner. You can find their symbols & signs everywhere.

-Over 90 percent of Thai people identify as Buddhist 🙏
-Over 20,000 temples ⛩️
-Over 30,000 monasteries ⚱️
-Over 150.000 monks 🧘

Beautiful temples and golden buddhas next to skyscrapers & electric wiring. The smell of incense mixed with the exhaust fumes of motor bikes. Monks feeding fish while tourists take their pictures. Ashes of ancestors & vehicles of visitors share the parking lots of monasteries. In Thai cities, tradition and modernity go hand in hand. 🤝

26/04/2022

Hanoi’s new selfie central? 📸

Hidden in one of the back streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter Ngõ 224 Lê Duẩn. In this alley an active railroad track literally runs through the front yards of the residents. 🛤

Attracted by the unique and Instagram worthy scenery of Train Street, more and more tourists came to visit over the last 10 years. 🚂

In reaction, smart and friendly locals like Van started serving them coffee, while they waited to watch a train rush by. At a record pace, train street transformed to tourist street. ☕️

Still authentic place worth visiting or overcrowded selfie paradise? Check the story: https://www.theurbandetective.com/blogs/walking-on-railroad-tracks-high-fiving-train-passengers-in-hanoi-vietnam

24/04/2022

Hoi An: City of Lights 🏮🎊

Its rich history as a trading port makes Hoi An a mecca for all types of traditional Vietnamese handicrafts. You can find hundreds of tailors and shoemakers, but there is one charming product which lights up the whole city at night: lanterns. ✨️

Originating in China, the lantern travelled through history and made its way to Hoi An in the 15th century. Usually made from a bamboo frame and Vietnamese silk, lanterns come in many different shapes, sizes, and colours. 🎎

Next to many other crafts, Hoi An adopted that of making lanterns. Although you can find them everywhe in Vietnam, nowhere they create a more romantic, ancient atmosphere than in the city where it first arrived. Hoi An: The city of lights.

21/04/2022

NEW STORY🕵️‍♀️ || Hidden in one of the back streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter is Ngõ 224 Lê Duẩn. In this alley, a railroad track literally runs through the front yards of the residents! The area, known to tourists as 'Train Street', displays a romantic scenery.

But nothing is what it seems. Suddenly, we hear people screaming and waving towards each other. Children run inside and locals repeatedly tell us to stay behind the ‘yellow line’. “Why?”, we ask. What’s happening?

Check out the story (+video) below and find out!

Hidden in one of the back streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter is Train Street. Every hour, a train crosses so close-by that you can high five all the passengers (hypothetically speaking).