Opinion: Ridesharing could revolutionize urban transport in India
As companies such as Uber expand, ridesharing may become an important means of sustainable transport in India and in lower- and middle-income cities worldwide. Photo by Chris JL/Flickr.
Ridesharing has been gaining popularity in the United States and Europe, with companies like Uber, Lyft, BlaBlaCar, and Wundercar facilitating hundreds of thousands of rides a month. This has presented a new, convenient, and affordable alternative means of transport in ...
Reinventing cities for better quality of life: Live from Mexico City
Live from Mexico City at X Congreso
How can we make cities better places to live? This central question is at the heart of countless efforts from governments, civil society, and individual citizens to transform and reinvent their cities. Given the rapid scale and pace of global ...
Friday Fun: Is the future for London’s cyclists on the river, the street, or both?
Would you be happier commuting on a bike path floating on London’s Thames River? Photo by Chris R/Flickr.
TheCityFix recently examined some of the most innovative bicycling infrastructure projects in cities worldwide, but a recent proposal for an eight-mile floating bike path on London’s River Thames might top these in originality. The “Thames Deckway” would cut through the heart of the ...
Must a city of 8 thousand follow the same planning processes as one of 8 million? A case for rightsize planning in India
Laws governing planning processes in Indian cities need to recognize the varying needs and complexities of differently sized urban centers. Photo by Ryan/Flickr.
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 ...
In photos: Bhopal becomes India’s fifth city to join the car-free Raahgiri movement
The Raahgiri movement is bringing car-free Sundays to cities across India, spreading the principles of sustainable, active transport. Photo by Shamim Khan/Facebook.
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, ...
Seven ways to encourage sustainable commuting in your workplace
Employers play an important role in creating the incentives and infrastructure to encourage employees to use sustainable transport. Photo by Dylan Passmore/Flickr.
Car-oriented cities have a number of costs for citizens’ health and well-being. Up to 75% of urban air pollution is caused by motor vehicle fuel combustion, and in 2012, 3.7 million premature deaths were linked to outdoor air pollution. Numerous studies have ...
How technology can transform urban mobility: A Q&A with São Paulo’s Ciro Biderman
São Paulo’s MobiLab shows how cities can empower citizens to create mobility solutions through opening data and supporting innovation. Photo by Igor Schutz/Flickr.
São Paulo’s transport systems generate 30 million data points every day, an amount that exceeds even the city’s 23 million daily trips. Using this data to improve urban mobility is a challenge, but also a key opportunity for cities. That’s where MobiLab, ...
Friday Fun: Engaging Istanbul’s youth for a more sustainable city
Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey. Photo by Tim Griffin/Flickr.
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 ...
As cities grow, so should their energy efficiency
Improving building efficiency presents a major opportunity to curb greenhouse gas emissions while saving money and improving quality of life. Photo by deano7000/Flickr.
If you want to find major emitters of greenhouse gases, look no further than your city’s skyline. Buildings account for more than one-third of all final energy consumption and half of global electricity use. They’re responsible for approximately one-third of ...
Six things to know about sustainable transport in Istanbul
Istanbul’s world class BRT, pedestrianized spaces, and strong demand for improved cycling infrastructure highlight the rise of sustainable transport in the city. Photo by Monique Stuut/Flickr.
Istanbul has made many strides in sustainable transport in recent years. Through a world class bus rapid transit (BRT) system and pedestrianization of public spaces, Istanbul is working to improve transport access, health, road safety, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions ...