Posts in the 'Urban Development' category
The construction of the Shanghai Tower is a testament to architectural skill and China's growing economic power, but does this come at the expense of vibrant street life? Photo by Jerry Yang/Flickr.
Friday Fun: Shanghai Tower raises questions on the future of walkability
Shanghai Tower, designed by transnational architecture design tycoon Gensler, will soon become the third tallest building in the world this year. Once complete, it will proudly join Shanghai’s already crowded skyline, which currently consists of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, ...
Cities have a lot to learn from one another. New "Wikipedia for urban planners" GreaterPlaces helps them do just that. Photo by Shreyans Bhansali/Flickr.
GreaterPlaces: The emerging Wikipedia for urban planners
Washington, DC recently hosted a Techcrunch meet-up, a Silicon-valley style pitch-off battle for emerging application developers. Amidst contestants like Broomie, which allows people to remind roommates and errant husbands to pick up groceries, and SpeakerBlast, which lets users turn their ...
Parque Madureira in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, provides a place for residents to engage in physical activity and connect with the local community. Photo by Higor de Padua/Flickr.
Two case studies show cities return to physical activity
Worldwide, people are moving less – taking their car, abandoning walking and bicycling, or perhaps unable to visit a neighborhood park or play space because it may not exist. In real numbers, as outlined by the Designed to Move campaign, physical activity ...
Residents of Hyderabad, India, can use mobile devices to be a part of the planning dialogue---whether it's creating clearer maps of the city or crowdsourcing infrastructure projects. Photo by Nietnagel/Flickr.
Public participation platforms change the dynamic between city and citizen
Instead of arguing about how their city did not have enough money to fund the creation of bike paths, a community in Mexico City, Mexico, went ahead and made them. When residents in Beijing, China, saw that cars were encroaching ...
Urban planners and city leaders look for a new framework to think about sustainable transport that promotes accessibility over mobility. Photo by Trevor Pritchard/Flickr.
Ekistics offers new perspective on mobility versus access
Being able to use a bus to travel ten miles to a super market is not the same as having a grocery store around the corner. Mobility, even sustainable mobility, is not the same as access. In order to create ...
Emerging economies are creating their own conception of "smart cities" that incorporate appropriate technologies, mixed-use development, and sustainable transport. Photo by EMBARQ Brazil/Flickr.
Banking on sustainability: Inter-American Development Bank and the Americas Society/Council of the Americas team up for a new conception of smart cities
The idea of “smart cities” – defined as those whose social and technological infrastructure accelerates sustainable economic growth – has captured the attention of city leaders and urban dwellers around the globe. It has also caught the attention of international ...
Jane Jacobs' community activism has had a lasting impression on today's cities, from sidewalk murals to sustainable transport system. Photo by ruffin_ready/Flickr.
Urbanism Hall of Fame: Jane Jacobs inspires sustainable, human-centered cities
This is the inaugural entry to our new series on sustainable urban mobility, the Urbanism Hall of Fame, exclusive to TheCityFix. This series is intended to inform people about the leading paradigms surrounding sustainable transport and urban planning and the ...
Europe learned that speed, reliability, and comfort are essential for successful public transport systems, and Brazil is taking note. Photo by EMBARQ Brasil.
High quality mass transport to save our cities
For those who live in or visit Brazil’s cities, it is not hard to see the effects of increasing motorization and car usage on our urban centers. Too many cities have become crippled  by bottlenecks and stifling traffic congestion. Increased ...
In the past two decades, Indian cities have grown tremendously—not only in population, but in geographic size. Photo by Peter Vandeput/ Flickr.
Three challenges facing India’s growing cities
Population growth and rapid urbanization are combining to create huge challenges for Indian cities. According to McKinsey, Indian cities are expected to grow from 340 million people in 2008 to a whopping 590 million in 2030. Meeting demand for urban services ...
Mexico's history of urban sprawl holds important lessons for policy and leadership in urban development. Photo by Pablo Lopex Luz/Imgur.
The perfect storm: One country’s history of urban sprawl
As some cities tout the benefits of sustainable transport and transit-oriented development (TOD), it is hard to imagine how others could have moved so far in the opposite direction. Understanding the combination of shifting responsibilities, lax regulations, and flawed policies ...
Online platforms provide citizens with new ways to shape urban development in their own backyard. Photo by Claudio Olivares Medina/Flickr.
Friday Fun: Building the ideal city — citizen participation from the ground up
Many developing world cities are experiencing population explosions at the same time as they face funding gaps and citizen apathy towards government’s ability to make meaningful change. In light of these challenges, BD Promotores Colombia, Prodigy Network, PSFK Labs, world ...
Mexico City's Chapultepec Park attracts both residents and tourists to its pedestrian-friendly thoroughfares. Photo by Austin TX/Flickr.
Mexico City park partnerships’ role in urban revitalization
Vibrant parks and public spaces are invaluable in creating sustainable, people-oriented cities. Recently, 8-80 Cities and Fundacion+Espacios organized an opportunity for members of the City Parks Alliance Board of Directors – a group of city park practitioners and advocates – ...
Bogotá, Colombia's Transmilenio bus rapid transit (BRT) system has been successful in integrating social equity into transport planning and urban design. Photo by RonaldHV/Flickr.
A new approach: Social factors in urban development
When a new urban redevelopment scheme is proposed, developers and city officials typically take three primary concerns into account. One: how the development will be financed, and in turn, what economic benefits it can bring. Two: urban infrastructure’s environmental impact ...
Separate subway cars allow women safe access to transport in Mumbai, India. Photo by ezola/Flickr.
Is separate equal? An opinion on women’s equality in transportation
Disrespect to women in any form is unacceptable, including while using public transport. While the long term solution to this disrespect relies on educating people that this behavior is unacceptable, in the present, transport systems designed to promote positive social interactions ...
Narrow, cobblestone paths do not support the development of a bicycle culture in Kadikoy, Istanbul. Photo by andy carvin/Flickr.
Creating a cycling culture in Kadiköy, Istanbul
Walking along Moda Cadesi in the Kadiköy neighborhood of Istanbul is an exciting experience. The street is connected to stores, a public park, and a pedestrian plaza that allows all ages and demographics to mix together in a dynamic hub ...
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