Friday Fun: What Harry Potter teaches us about integrated transport
King's Cross Station in London ties together both train and high-speed rail lines, serving as a transport hub for residents in the city and the wider region, and, perhaps, for wizards. Photo by Jim Nix/Flickr.
In J.K. Rowling’s novel Harry Potter, there comes a time when the reader learns about Apparition – essentially teleportation – where wizards close their eyes, think about where they want to be, and poof! There they are. Once you learn ...
Pitfalls and potential: Climate change vulnerability in Dhaka, Bangladesh
The Buriganga River in the Bangladeshi city of Dhaka provides transport for the city---yet reminds Dhaka's residents of the need to build resiliency into the city as water levels rise. Photo by William Veerbeek/Flickr.
According to the United Nations, temperatures are likely to warm anywhere from 3 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, and scientists warn that “the world is ill-equipped to deal with the impacts of warming.” To help the lives impacted by ...
People-oriented Cities: Three keys to quality public transport
Quality, user-friendly public transport systems provide a viable alternative to the private car and help build livable, accessible cities. Photo by Alejandro Luna/EMBARQ Mexico.
Quality, user-friendly public transport systems provide a viable alternative to the private car and help build livable, accessible cities. Photo by Alejandro Luna/EMBARQ Mexico. The “People-oriented Cities” series – exclusive to TheCityFix and Insights – is an exploration of how ...
Planning for Climate Change and the Urban Future
New York City, like many cities around the globe, is reshaping the design of its waterfront to be increasingly resilient to rising sea levels and an unpredictable climate. Photo by Stefan Georgi/Flickr.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and ICLEI, the largest worldwide association of local governments, released a study last week showing how climate change has become a priority for cities across the globe. Entitled the “Urban Climate Change Governance Survey,” ...
TheCityFix’s roadmap to the Bonn climate change negotiations
What future do you want? Photo by Africa Renewal/John Gillespie/Flickr.
From June 4 – 19, 2014, environmental leaders, policymakers, and the international climate community will descend on Bonn, Germany for the intersessional negotiation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This event is a chance for leaders ...
Friday Fun: Japan’s shotengais show connectivity and community are key to commercial success
Japan's shotengais - partly enclosed markets - succeed both because of their proximity to transport and the unique, tightly knit communities they foster. Photo by Michael Vito/Flickr.
Even as malls are declining as social spaces in the United States, shotengais (商店街) – pedestrianized business districts covered with translucent roofs – remain a part of everyday life in Japanese cities. Shotengais are generally located near transport hubs and ...
Call for Applications: Looking for the next TheCityFix blogger!
TheCityFix, produced by EMBARQ, is now accepting applications for a full-time writer and blogger in its Washington, DC headquarters. Are you up for the challenge? Photo by Sam Grover/Flickr.
Are you a creative, early-career professional with strong writing and editing skills? Are you passionate about communications and urban sustainability? Do you want to work for the #1 environmental and natural resources think tank? If your answers to these questions ...
Join this Google Hangout on sustainable cities for World Environment Day
Lima's human-scale architecture and pedestrian-friendly roads make it a world leader in sustainable development. Recognizing this, we have chosen them to be the host of the Google Hangout session “Urban Development and Sustainable Transport in Latin America: Lessons Learned.” Photo by Mckay Savage/Flickr.
We all have ideas for how to make our cities better places to live. Whether it’s more tree-lined streets, better infrastructure for cycling and walking, or safe access to public transport for all city dwellers regardless of gender, it’s not ...
Mobility in a Moment: Capturing Urban Life in Photos, Part Two
Interstate I-85 in Atlanta, Georgia, serves as both a physical transport system and a symbol of the city's often tumultuous growth. Photo by Nick Harland/Flickr.
Ah, big city   The fate of achieving your progress   Was constant and unbridled expansion   And the same road that drains your riches   Divides your people   And leaves a scar   Irremediable, irreparable. – Guillermo Petzhold ### ...
Friday Fun: Mumbai's Seatbelt Crew wants you to buckle up
Groups like the Seatbelt Crew combine education and entertainment to get automobile drivers on Mumbai, India's crowded roads to buckle-up. Photo by Jerry H./Flickr.
Imagine it’s a hot, sunny day in Mumbai, India. Traffic is stopped. As you watch people passing by, suddenly a group of hijras – sometimes referred to as India’s transgender “third sex” – in matching saris file into the streets ...