DW Rowlands

@82streetcar

Freelance Urban Geographer and Master of Social and Anti-Social Sciences. A trains-trans in exile (from Maryland to South Holland). Learning Dutch.

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DW Rowlands@82streetcar· 9d

I'm excited to announce that one half of the big project on Opportunity Zones that I've been working on for the past few months is live! I was the technical lead designing the models of "place readiness" and "displacement risk" that AmericaFWD just released! (1/4)

A screenshot of the America FWD Opportunity Zones 2.0 mapping tool, centered on Houston Texas. It shows Census tracts eligible for Opportunity Zone designation, along with place readiness and displacement risk ratings.

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· 12d

Also, I dug up a PDF of the Vienna Convention and its associated diagrams, to confirm that the diagrams of the prohibitory signs do include the slash: www.makinggood.ac.nz/media/1274/u... Here's the no pedestrians sign as shown on page 90 (page 104 of the PDF)

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· 12d

Wikipedia shows the slash as the standard Vienna Convention recommendation for prohibitory signs:

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· 12d

Glad to hear someone else commenting on this, because this trait of Dutch "no [blank]" signs drives me crazy, and once led to my biking onto a freeway on-ramp before realizing this was clearly not somewhere I should bike. For context, here's what a Dutch "no pedestrians" sign looks like:

A "no pedestrians" sign from the Netherlands. A black stick figure in the middle of a white circle with a red border that is a little thicker than the width of the stick figure's head.

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· May 20

As I mentioned earlier today, the US Census Bureau just released small-area estimates of air conditioning prevalence down to the tract level. This afternoon, I spent a while exploring the data and wrote a quick blog post about it, with a few maps! Thread! dwrowlands.com/new-census-d... (1/4)

$A map of counties in the contiguous United States showing the share of households estimated to have air conditioning in 10 percentage point tranches, based on 2023 Local Air Conditioning Estimates produced by the US Census Bureau. Most of the country is estimated to have 90% or more households with air conditioning, with substantially lower fractions in some mountainous areas and along the West Coast.$

A map of counties in the contiguous United States showing the number of 90°F days annually expected in the 2020's based on NOAA SPP 3-7.0 (middle path) climate estimates. Counties where fewer than 90% of households have air conditioning are marked with black hatch lines.

A map of counties in the contiguous United States showing the number of 90°F days annually expected in the 2050's based on NOAA SPP 3-7.0 (middle path) climate estimates. Counties where fewer than 90% of households have air conditioning are marked with black hatch lines.

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Apr 27

I'm curious if anyone here can read Seal Script? Today is Koningsdag, so people sell things on the street. I bought this handmade bookmark from a Chinese woman, who said it says something like "As coral grows in the sea, life gets better." but I assume that's not the literal meaning.

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Apr 14

Vanmorgen ben ik naar de Bollenstreek gefietst om de tulpen te bekijken! De fietstocht was 30 kilometer lang en erg mooi. Het duurde ongeveer drie uur.

Een veld met rode tulpen vlakbij station Sassenheim.

Ik en mijn fiets te midden van een veld met rode tulpen.

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Mar 3

The St. Patrick's cross is offset 1⁄30 of the height in a counterclockwise direction, while the St. Andrew's cross are offset by 1⁄30 of the height in a clockwise direction, and the two diagonals each 1⁄15 of the flag's height are bordered on each side by white strips 1⁄30 of the height. (3/3)

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Mar 3

The blazon is: "azure, the crosses-saltires of St. Andrew and St. Patrick quartered per saltire counter changed argent and gules; the latter fimbriated of the second [viz., argent]; surmounted by the cross of St. George of the third [viz., gules], fimbriated as the saltire [viz., argent]." (2/3)

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Jan 16

For my Maryland/DC-area followers, I did want to mention that, somewhat unexpectedly, I visited Pinneburg in Schleswig-Holstein (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinneberg) and discovered that it's sister-cities with Rockville, MD and has a Rockvillestraße and a senior housing complex named Rockville Haus!

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Jan 16

I still need to finish going through all the photos I took, but I've now updated my maps of places I've been in Europe to take into account my trip across northern Germany earlier this month to Berlin (to see @alonlevy.bsky.social and @lexande.bsky.social), Hamburg, Hanover, and Osnabrück.

A map of county-equivalent (broadly defined) places in Europe I've been to. This includes several provinces in the Netherlands (most notably North and South Holland), areas around London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Cambridge in the UK, as well as the vicinities of Berlin, Hamburg, Munch, Stuttgart, Hanover, Potsdam, and Osnabrück in Germany.

A map of municipalities in Germany and the Low Countries that I've been to. This includes many places in the Netherlands (mostly in the Randstad), as well as Berlin, Hamburg, Munch, Stuttgart, Hanover, Potsdam, and Osnabrück, and Pinneburg in Germany.

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Dec 15

GETTYSBURG ADDRESS QUARTER Like the Mayflower Compact, a slightly odd choice for commemorating the American Revolution, but otherwise a wonderful design, if the bust of Lincoln didn't run over the text, and if the denomination was given as "quarter dollar" and not "25¢" (13/14)

The 2026 Sesquicentennial circulating commemorative Gettysburg Address US quarter-dollar. The obverse shows a head-and-neck bust of Abraham Lincoln. The reverse shows a pair of arms clasping each other horizontally as if forming a human chain. Along with the standard inscriptions, the reverse contains the texts "GETTYSBURG ADDRESS" and "A NEW NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY". Notably, the denomination is given as 25¢ and not "Quarter Dollar."

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Dec 15

U.S. CONSTITUTION QUARTER Here, my biggest complaint is that they're chosen a horrible likeness of James Madison for the obverse: he looks like a vampire wearing a ton of eye-shadow for some reason. (12/14)

The 2026 Sesquicentennial circulating commemorative U.S. Constitution US quarter-dollar. The obverse shows a head-and-neck bust of James Madison, with sunken eyes that appear to have eye shadow around them. The reverse shows the copula of Independence Hall. Along with the standard inscriptions, the reverse contains the text "U.S. Constitution." The denomination is given as "QUARTER DOLLAR", as is traditional.

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Dec 15

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE QUARTER I don't think this is a bad design, except that the very different style of bust used for Jefferson clashes badly with the other three quarters with presidents, and the images (as with all these quarters) run over the text. (11/14)

The 2026 Sesquicentennial circulating commemorative Declaration of Independence US quarter-dollar. The obverse shows a waist-up side-view bust of Thomas Jefferson, very different in style from the busts used for the presidents on the other four Semiquincentennial quarter dollars. The reverse shows the Liberty Bell, apparently in mid-ring. Along with the standard inscriptions, the reverse contains the text "REVOLUTIONARY WAR". The denomination is given as "QUARTER DOLLAR", as is traditional.

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Dec 15

REVOLUTIONARY WAR QUARTER This is a decent design, even if I don't like the new portrait of Washington on the obverse. As with the Mayflower Compact quarter, though, I am bothered by the denomination being given as 25¢: I don't think the "¢" sign has been or should be used coins. (10/14)

The 2026 Sesquicentennial circulating commemorative Revolutionary War US quarter-dollar. The obverse shows a head-and-neck bust of George Washington. The reverse shows a Revolutionary War officer with log cabins in the background. Along with the standard inscriptions, the reverse contains the text "REVOLUTIONARY WAR". Notably, the denomination is given as 25¢ and not "Quarter Dollar."

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Dec 15

MAYFLOWER COMPACT QUARTER This has waist-up images of a Pilgrim couple on the front, which I feel doesn't work well given it's the sort of design one tends to find on the reverse of recent US commemorative quarters. It doesn't have an obvious obverse. (8/14)

The 2026 Sesquicentennial circulating commemorative Mayflower Compact US quarter-dollar. The obverse shows a waist-up bust of a Pilgrim couple. The reverse shows a sailing ship intended to be the Mayflower. Along with the standard inscriptions, the reverse contains the text "MAYFLOWER COMPACT". Notably, the denomination is given as 25¢ and not "Quarter Dollar."

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Dec 15

HALF-DOLLAR I actually like the passing-torch design on the back of the half-dollar, though I'm less sure about having the Statue of Liberty on the front. "Knowledge is the Only Guardian of True Liberty" is apparently a James Madison quote. (6/14)

The 2026 Sesquicentennial circulating commemorative US half-dollar. The obverse shows a head-and-neck bust of the Statue of Liberty, complete with her crown. The reverse shows two naturalistic hands passing the Statue of Liberty's torch. Along with the standard inscriptions, the reverse contains the text "KNOWLEDGE IS THE ONLY GUARDIAN OF TRUE LIBERTY".

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Dec 15

CENT AND NICKEL The nickel design is...surprisingly unchanged, honestly, just adding the year 1776 to make it dual-dated. The same is true of the collectable-only penny. I get why they're not doing much with the cent given they're phasing it out, but the nickel surprises me. (5/14)

The 2026 Sesquicentennial circulating commemorative US nickel. The only apparent change from the current circulating versions is that it is dual-dated 1776-2026.

The 2026 Sesquicentennial circulating commemorative US cent. The only apparent change from the current circulating versions is that it is dual-dated 1776-2026.

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Dec 15

THE DIME I actually quite like the dime design; this will be the first time Liberty has been on the front of a circulating US coin since...I think 1946, when the "Mercury" dime (sometimes considered the most beautiful US circulating coin design) was replaced with the FDR dime. (4/14)

The 2026 Sesquicentennial circulating commemorative US dime. The obverse shows Liberty wearing a liberty cap with stars and with a firm expression on her face. The reverse shows a naturalistic eagle clutching arrows. Along with the standard inscriptions, the reverse contains the text "LIBERTY OVER TYRANNY".

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Nov 18

In the past, I've posted maps of the county-equivalents in North America that I've been to, and of New England towns that I've been to. Today, I'm adding to that with a map of municipalities in the low countries I've been to, along with an updated map of New England towns at the same scale.

A map of municipalities in the Low Countries, coded based on whether I have visited them. I have lived in Leiden, South Holland and have visited Den Haag, South Holland; Zoetermeer, South Holland; and Amsterdam, North Holland on seven or more days each. I have also visited and passed through a number of other municipalities in the Netherlands, though none in Friesland, Flevoland, Limburg, Zeeland, or North Brabant. I have not yet been to Belgium or Luxembourg.

A map of New England towns that I've been to, admittedly in need of improved graphic design. It also includes an inset focused on the greater Boston area, where I lived (in Cambridge, Massachusetts) for six years.

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Oct 31

“Puck’s Song” consists of a catalogue of places in or near Sussex associated with important events from English history. While the events are not all entirely accurately characterized, most of the locations are at least plausibly identifiable, so I decided to make a map of them.

A map of England southeast of London, showing locations in Rudyard Kipling's poem, "Puck's Song." The forest known as "The Weald" and the historic county of Sussex are outlined. The locations of Burwash (the site of the fictional Puck's Hill), Bayham Abbey, HM Shipyard Portsmouth, the city of Rye, the Roman Ruins at Bignor, the beach at Ebbsfleet, and five Causewayed Enclosures are marked in red.

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Oct 26

I found this explanation of degrees of cousinality and generations removed interesting, but also feel like we should have a new set of terms, shifting the baseline to 0th degree, not -1st degree, and should also distinguish negative and positive generations removed. mathstodon.xyz/@jacobneu/11...

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Oct 2

Today is the beginning of Leiden's two-day festival celebrating the 1574 breaking of the siege of the city during the 80 Years War. My housemates and I went to a big, outdoor feast of hutspot, the stew the townspeople found in an abandoned pot when the Spanish fled their camp. It was very tasty!

A white woman (the post author) in a short-sleeved red dress with a white turtle-neck under it.

A paper bowl with a serving a serving of hutspot, a stew consisting of mashed vegetables and meat gravy.

A street in a Dutch city with red-and-white tents in the central median and a large number of people in the street or sitting under the tents, largely wearing red and white.

A small band in red tops and black pants playing in front of the doors of a Gothic church.

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Aug 14

Leiden has equations that were developed there or by people connected to there on the walls of buildings. I went for a walk this evening to find this one: the Van der Waals Equation of State, also known as the Real Gas Law, and is an equation I taught students when I was a chemistry professor.

A white woman with glasses and a bandana in front of a white wall with the Van der Waals Equation of State, (P + an^2/V^2)(V - nb) = nRT written on it and illustrated with a circular vessel containing a liquid and gas molecules above the liquid. The wall also has the name "Johannes Diderick van der Waals (1837-1927)" on it, along with the Dutch text "De structuur der moleculen dicteert het samenspel tussen vloeistol en gas." ("The structure of the molecules dictates the interplay between liquid and gas.")

DW Rowlands@82streetcar· Nov 15

I should probably introduce myself. I'm a human geographer and civil servant with an interest in walkable urbanism and public transit. Professional website: dwrowlands.com. I am also an autistic trans woman with interests in cooking Polish food, languages, ancient history, and religion.