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 ...
People-oriented Cities: Demystifying transit-oriented development
Transit-oriented development strategies can help urban areas develop sustainably, uniting land use, transport planning, and urban design to create more people-oriented cities. Pictured: Small businesses and pedestrians at a hub near Mexico City's Metrobús bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Photo by Justin Swan/Flickr.
The “People-oriented Cities” series – exclusive to TheCityFix and WRI Insights – is an exploration of how cities can grow to become more sustainable and livable through transit-oriented development (TOD). The nine-part series will address different urban design techniques and trends ...
Across the divide: Information and communication connect users and transport systems
Information-communication technologies have the ability to improve data quality for transport operators while increasing convenience for transport users. Photo by Frederik_Rowing/Flickr.
As the situation stands in India, lack of data connectivity inhibits the success of urban transport systems on two fronts. On one hand, transport operators do not have the baseline information to do their job efficiently. On the other hand, ...
Urbanism Hall of Fame: Jaime Lerner – The architect of Curitiba
Jaime Lerner's vision for Curitiba, Brazil, included creating a connected, sustainable city that would be accessible to all. Photo by EMBARQ/Flickr.
This is the third entry in the Urbanism Hall of Fame series, exclusive to TheCityFix. This series is intended to inform people about the leading paradigms surrounding sustainable transport and urban planning and the thinkers behind them. By presenting their ...
Friday Fun: Community building through skateboarding in Addis Ababa
Taxi bus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo by Overseas Development Institute/Flickr.
Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. In fact, it’s population has almost tripled since 1970. In its rapid race towards development, little space was left for parks, little consideration was ...
The new generation of participatory planning for today’s cities
Cities look for ways to use social networks and mobile applications to engage the younger generation in the planning process. Photo by Fullbridge Program/Flickr.
We live in a world where four out of five millennials prefer to live in walkable places with a variety of commuting options, a world where people want to drive less and socialize more. However, while the next generation’s desires ...