Friday Fun: A day in the life of Hong Kong's subway
Hong Kong's mass rapid transit (MRT) system boasts a high quality of service, an important factor in making sustainable transport the way to go for urban residents. Photo by Lileepod/Flickr.
Transport and urban planners spend much of their time thinking about distance to stations, fare pricing, and the key components that make sustainable transport systems work at a basic level, but they sometimes forget the smaller details that make transport ...
Three challenges facing India’s growing cities
In the past two decades, Indian cities have grown tremendously—not only in population, but in geographic size. Photo by Peter Vandeput/ Flickr.
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 ...
Air pollution in China forces short-term responses, requires long-term solutions
Air quality and smog in China. Photo by Niccoló Mazzati/Flickr.
As severe air pollution grips Beijing, China and the surrounding region, the sharp rise in harmful particulate matter has forced authorities to consider both immediate responses and long-term strategies to combat air pollution. The current situation The height of the ...
The perfect storm: One country’s history of urban sprawl
Mexico's history of urban sprawl holds important lessons for policy and leadership in urban development. Photo by Pablo Lopex Luz/Imgur.
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 ...
Peru takes the lead in combating climate change through transport
Peru's PlanCC puts transport on the climate action agenda ahead of international climate talks. Photo by carlosfpardo/Flickr
The transport sector currently accounts for 22% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and emissions from energy consumption and is the fastest growing sector in terms of overall emissions. It is also responsible for 35% of per capita CO2 emissions in Latin America and is ...
New fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles are a “win-win-win”
New fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles like buses are important in moving towards a smaller carbon footprint. Photo by Zolk/Flickr.
America’s vehicles are on the road to becoming cleaner. Last week, President Obama directed his administration to set new fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including large pick-up trucks, school buses, and tractors. Improving fuel ...
Friday Fun: Building the ideal city — citizen participation from the ground up
Online platforms provide citizens with new ways to shape urban development in their own backyard. Photo by Claudio Olivares Medina/Flickr.
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 ...
E-bikes bring individual and sustainable transport to China
Shanghai is one of China's many cities which has seen the proliferation of bottom-up innovations, such as e-bikes, to tackle the problem of urban transport. Photo by 2 dogs/Flickr.
In developed cities, new mobility options typically only penetrate the transport ecosystem after governing bodies have developed an institutional framework around the new technology. Emerging economies, however, do not always have the regulatory capacity to standardize regulations and create policy ...
Building towards better bike-sharing systems
Mexico City's Ecobici bike-share system is one of the best in the world due to its high usage and integration into the city's transport system. Photo by Eneas de Troya/Flickr.
Less than ten years ago Lyon, France launched the first successful, modern bike-share system. Less than seven years ago Paris, France put bike-sharing in the global spotlight. Bike-sharing is no longer a novel experiment but a proven mobility solution. From ...
Mexico City park partnerships’ role in urban revitalization
Mexico City's Chapultepec Park attracts both residents and tourists to its pedestrian-friendly thoroughfares. Photo by Austin TX/Flickr.
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 – ...