Posts in the 'Urban Development' category
How ciclovías contribute to mobility and quality of life in Latin America and in cities worldwide
How ciclovías contribute to mobility and quality of life in Latin America and in cities worldwide
Though rapid urbanization can impair mobility and quality of life, Latin American cities have responded to this challenge with creative, low cost, and high impact solutions. Some of these initiatives have set an example for the rest of the world. ...
Transit and residential neighborhoods: Questioning the affordability of residential neighborhoods around Metro Rail stations, a Delhi case study
Transit and residential neighborhoods: Questioning the affordability of residential neighborhoods around Metro Rail stations, a Delhi case study
Large-scale mass transit projects such as the Delhi Metro Rail often lead to transit-oriented development (TOD) that can enhance quality of life, but also compromise housing affordability. Planning authorities in urban areas around the world have acknowledged the need for ...
Laws governing planning processes in Indian cities need to recognize the varying needs and complexities of differently sized urban centers. Photo by Ryan/Flickr.
Must a city of 8 thousand follow the same planning processes as one of 8 million? A case for rightsize planning in India
India’s urban population currently stands at 377 million, representing 31% of the country’s total population. This urban population is distributed across a diverse range of small, medium and large urban centers. Smaller urban centers – or ‘census towns’ that have recently crossed ...
The Raahgiri movement is bringing car-free Sundays to cities across India, spreading the principles of sustainable, active transport. Photo by Shamim Khan/Facebook.
In photos: Bhopal becomes India’s fifth city to join the car-free Raahgiri movement
On September 21, 2014, Bhopal became the fifth city in India to implement the weekly open streets movement, Raahgiri Day. Organized by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), Traffic Police, and Bhopal City Link Ltd. (BCLL) in collaboration with EMBARQ India, ...
Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey. Photo by Tim Griffin/Flickr.
Friday Fun: Engaging Istanbul’s youth for a more sustainable city
A focus on sustainable development can help Istanbul preserve its rich cultural history. For example, Istanbul’s Historical Peninsula – a UNESCO World Heritage site – contains 295 pedestrianized streets that have helped to increase the vibrancy, safety, and accessibility of ...
With Compact of Mayors, cities lead on tackling climate change at U.N. Summit
With Compact of Mayors, cities lead on tackling climate change at U.N. Summit
Last week, cities around the world made bold commitments to confront climate change. The Compact of Mayors, announced at the UN Climate Summit in New York City, convenes cities to set ambitious targets and report their performance transparently. It builds ...
Do you think gaming is a waste of time? You may be surprised to learn that some games can teach us about urban design and help solve real world problems. Photo by Wolfgang Staudt/Flickr.
Friday Fun: Gaming for more sustainable cities
Three billion hours per week are spent playing online games worldwide. Though the prevalence of online games has drawbacks, what if some of this time spent gaming could improve the way our cities are designed? The prevalence of games in ...
caption
Building the city of the future through smart, connected urban transport
The concept of smart, connected transport is a hot topic among city leaders looking to ride the wave of innovation to more sustainable, prosperous cities. Despite this, building a truly smart and interconnected urban transport system is more than most ...
Transport accounts for 22% of all energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. By investing in low-carbon transport alternatives, cities can curb emissions while also supporting economic prosperity. Photo by Samuel Yoo/Flickr.
Transport sector climate action key to close the world’s emissions gap
Climate action often focuses on energy and industrial activity, but the transport sector must be included to keep global warming below the dangerous two-degree scenario. Transport is responsible for 22% of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide, and its emissions ...
Urbanization is a driver of both economic growth and global climate change. Between 2011 and 2030, the urban areas of the world are expected to add 1.4 billion people, including 276 million in China and 218 million in India. Photo by Ken Marshall/Flickr.
How cities can save trillions, curb climate change, and improve public health
No strategy for reducing the impacts of global climate change is complete without addressing the challenge of urbanization. Cities contribute about 70% of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, despite only accounting for 2% of global land area. Reducing this environmental impact may ...
Incredibly efficient city designs inspired by arcology could scale up mixed-use development and sustainable mobility while minimizing environmental impacts. Norman Foster rendering via Forgemind ArchiMedia/Flickr.
Friday Fun: The futuristic, sustainable cities inspired by arcology
By 2050, the world’s population is estimated to grow to 9.6 billion, with 66% living in cities. How can we accommodate urbanization while avoiding costly urban sprawl that can lead to unequal access to transport and increased greenhouse gas emissions? ...
Rapid urbanization has led to sprawl in cities worldwide, reshaping urban geographies and challenging city governments to plan for growing populations. Photo by Omar Bárcena/Flickr.
Friday Fun: Watch urban growth unfold in these amazing visualizations from cities worldwide
The NYU Stern Urbanization Project has created a number of fascinating time-lapse videos showing urban land use in different cities from the 1800s through to 2000. These videos strikingly depict the well-evidenced trend of urban growth, both in population and ...
New research from EMBARQ can improve planners’ understanding of how to design safer intersections for pedestrians. Photo by Nicolae Duduta/EMBARQ.
Understanding how intersection and signal design impact pedestrian behavior
Pedestrians hit by vehicles when crossing on red are 56% more likely to be severely injured than those crossing on green. While crossing on red is often assumed to be mainly an issue of poor individual pedestrian behavior, recent research ...
Citizens and planners should respect the mobility of handicapped persons by ensuring that infrastructure is accessible to all. Photo by Eneas De Troya/Flickr.
Opinion: Mexico’s disabled population deserves mobility and accessibility
Every morning for the last six months I have observed the same man parking his car in the handicap spot. At first, I flashed him angry and annoyed expressions to try to convince him to park somewhere else; no results. ...
As cities rapidly urbanize, governments worldwide face the challenge of improving living conditions for the most vulnerable urban populations. Photo by Akshay Mahajan/Flickr.
Upgrading informal settlements in an urbanizing world
How can we ensure that all urban inhabitants have the necessary rights and conditions for a dignified and secure existence in the city? As the world rapidly urbanizes, the livelihoods, health, and safety of residents living in informal settlements remain ...
Right Menu Icon