The two things India must get right for its economic future
Energy and sustainable cities are key to India's economic growth
Taking even a quick look at India’s current pattern of growth, it’s not hard to see both the rising energy insecurity and the stress that cities across the country are experiencing. Congestion, urban sprawl, and poor access to reliable energy ...
Empowering citizens to shape their city: Brazil’s new approach to public participation
Public participation in Belo Horizonte
Citizen participation is a critical—and often overlooked—aspect of successful urban planning. For public policies and services to actually have a positive impact on people’s daily lives, city leaders need to have a clear picture of the particular needs of the ...
Why public transport needs to work for women, too
Making public transport work for women in India
Men and women use public transport in different ways because of their distinct social roles and economic activities. Since women’s reasons for traveling generally differ from men’s, the purpose, frequency, and distance of their trips are also different. Additionally, safety ...
Friday Fun: Bogotá, Colombia celebrates its 15th annual car-free day
2015 car free day Bogota Colombia
Yesterday, Bogotá, Colombia celebrated the 15th anniversary of its annual car-free day. Between 5am and 7:30pm, residents left their cars behind and turned to a variety of other modes of transport—a symbolic act that 63 percent of citizens institutionalized through ...
Transforming Transportation 2015: Turning Momentum Into Action
Transforming Transport 2015 sustainable transport Hong Kong
What will the city of the future look like? How can we unlock the potential of urbanization to create safe, accessible and prosperous societies? At Transforming Transportation 2015 – the annual conference co-organized by the World Resources Institute and the World Bank– we learned about ...
What human-centered design teaches us about making cities car-optional
Mexico City's pedestrian-friendly historic downtown
Previously on TheCityFix, we took you through the initial steps of EMBARQ and IDEO’s project to explore how human-centered design thinking can be put to work for sustainable urban mobility. We’re asking a bold question – what if there were ...
How to enable safer access to mass transit in Indian cities
Making safe and accessible BRT stations
It is increasingly recognized that cities are both powerhouses of economic growth and the primary drivers of economic prosperity, worldwide. This holds true for urban India as well, where exponential growth is expected not only in existing metropolitan areas, but ...
Friday Fun: Art in metro stations is about more than just good looks
Universidad de Chile metro station mural
A successful transport system connects people with their city not only physically, but also culturally. While public transport can sometimes be perceived as anonymous and impersonal, metro stations that engage culturally with the communities they serve are much more likely ...
New pilot program aims to expand energy efficiency in Chinese cities
Reducing building emissions in China
As China urbanizes, buildings in the country’s cities are a growing source of emissions and air pollution. Energy use from public sector buildings rose 15 percent between 2006 and 2010, and heat and electricity from emissions-intensive coal now account for ...
New survey shows increased satisfaction with urban transport in São Paulo
New bike paths in São Paulo
Are you satisfied with the quality of life in your city? In São Paulo, overall perceptions of quality of life increased over the past year for one-third of the population, and remained stable for half according to the city’s Municipal ...