Secondhand Vehicles in Developing Countries
Minibus traffic clogs the streets of Mexico City. Photo by EMBARQ.
A version of this post was originally published in Portuguese on TheCityFix Brasil on July 29, 2011.  Imported secondhand vehicles (ISV) are being shipped around the world from Belgium to Benin, from the United States to the Ukraine. From 1997 to 2007 the ...
Zipcar Reduces Driving, Improves Sustainable Transport
Zipcar’s moto, “Wheels when you want them” resonated with Baltimore residents, leading to an 11 percent increase in public transport use.
To celebrate Zipcar’s one-year anniversary of operations in Baltimore, Md., Zipcar released survey data from the company’s Baltimore-area members with positive and encouraging feedback for the sustainable transport community. According to the data, since its debut in June 2010, Baltimore’s Zipcar ...
Friday Fun: Growing Bamboo Bicycles
Friday Fun: Growing Bamboo Bicycles
Alexander Vittouris from Monash University grew a bamboo bicycle by intervening with the plant’s growth process through a technique called “arborsculpture.” Using a hard skeletal mold, Vittouris forced the natural growth of the bamboo into the shape of a bicycle ...
Stephen Colbert Mocks Nissan LEAF’s “Wave” Campaign
Click the above image to watch the video.
Today is the deadline to submit ideas for a universal greeting to be used between fellow Nissan LEAF owners. Stephen Colbert, the hilarious host of The Colbert Report, took the opportunity to remind us that the best gesture to give ...
Biology of Cities
Biology of Cities
In a TED talk this month, physicist Geoffrey West explained his application of universal mathematical laws that define the growth of organisms—from multi-cellular ones to the ecosystem—to the growth of cities. “Cities are the crucible of civilization,” he said to ...
Research Recap, August 1: Efficient Cab Driving, Neighborhood Walkability, Commuter Economics
Research Recap, August 1: Efficient Cab Driving, Neighborhood Walkability, Commuter Economics
Welcome to “Research Recap,” our series highlighting recent reports, studies and other findings in sustainable transportation policy and practice, in case you missed it. Fuel-Efficient Cab Driving “Inside the Mind of a Cabbie,” a newly released interim report by Shell ...
TheCityFix Picks, July 29: Trek of the Tricycles, India’s Smart Grid, By the City/For the City
TheCityFix Picks, July 29: Trek of the Tricycles, India’s Smart Grid, By the City/For the City
Welcome back to TheCityFix Picks, our series highlighting the newsy and noteworthy of the past week. Each Friday, we’ll run down the headlines falling under TheCityFix’s five themes: integrated transport, urban development and accessibility, air quality and climate change, health and ...
Medellin Bus System Paralyzed by Violence and Extortion
Bus drivers on strike in Medellin are demanding greater protection and security from the local government. Photo by Jimmy Baikovicius.
Neighborhoods in Medellin, Colombia were recently paralyzed by a bus driver protest. The strike was triggered by the murder of Duban de Jesus Botero Vera, who was gunned down after his refusal to pay a vacuna extortion fee. The slain ...
A Rise in Fatal Cycling Accidents in Brazil
Photo by Jesse Millan.
A version of this post was originally published by Maria Fernanda Cavalcanti in Portuguese onTheCityFix Brasil on July 25, 2011.  Bicycles are a great ally in the fight for healthier communities through sustainable transport. However, a survey by the Department of Transit ...
HUD Invests $67 Million in Sustainable Communities Grant
Photo by Pedro Vera.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will invest an additional $67 million towards creating stronger and more sustainable communities through its Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant program. This will be the second round of grants. The program is ...