The 8 Principles of the Sidewalk: Building More Active Cities
The Eight Principles of Sidewalks
Nossa Cidade (“Our City”), from TheCityFix Brasil, explores critical questions for building more sustainable cities. Every month features a new theme. Leaning on the expertise of researchers and specialists at EMBARQ Brasil, the series will feature in depth articles on ...
People-centric smart cities: five ways technology can support better urban living
Curitiba, Brazil and Smart Cities
What are smart cities? While there isn’t a standard definition, consensus is growing around the idea that smart cities utilize technology to foster green development, innovation, and new forms of citizen participation. Smart cities currently enjoy a strong positive image, ...
Building a more competitive Mexico City through energy efficiency
Building Efficiency in Mexico City
Buildings are an important part of the sustainability picture for Mexico City. At least 20 percent of the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings, with growth in coming decades expected to increase energy demand. This means that improving ...
Should we inch or stride towards urban resilience?
Flooding and resilience in Dhaka
Cities in the 21st century face two monumental shifts: growing urban populations and a rapidly changing climate. As the world’s urban population nears five billion, cities will need to build more infrastructure in the first 30 years of this millennium ...
Friday Fun: Three cities’ pedestrian-friendly skyways, in photos
Hong Kong's Skyway (featured)
The rapid increase in car ownership in cities worldwide has brought conflicts between pedestrians and cars to center stage. Complete streets that accommodate all users not just are ideal in design, but have actually been successfully implemented in cities like ...
Pricing congestion to invest in sustainable transport: lessons from London
London and congestion charging
In 2003, London adopted a program of congestion pricing that now places a roughly $17 (£11.50) daily fee on motor vehicles entering central London. The effort was expected to reduce car traffic, air pollution, and emissions in the area, and ...
Why smart growth cities are safer, healthier, and wealthier
Ahmedabad, India and New Climate Economy report on sprawl
Developing countries are projected to gain 2.2 billion new urban residents between now and 2050. Governments and city leaders have a choice: they can develop cities that are sprawled and auto-dependent, or they can develop cities that are connected, compact, ...
Three ways São Paulo’s companies helped curb traffic congestion
TDM Brazil
A century of car-centric urban development has left our cities polluted, congested, and searching for sustainable solutions. Transport Demand Management (TDM) strategies can provide these solutions by combining public policy and private sector innovation to reverse over-reliance on private cars. ...
Four inspirations for sustainable transport from Rio
BRT in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Known for its beautiful natural landscapes, Christ the Redeemer statue, and Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro is an iconic city. Citizens’ ability to access these and local opportunities, though, has been limited in the past due to increased reliance on ...
Friday Fun: A global green thumbs-up for urban gardens
Global urban gardens
In the northern hemisphere, the days are growing longer and warmer, signaling the first day of spring. For many, it’s time to start sowing seeds, and for those in cities, it’s time to dig into community gardens. According to the ...