Electrification Doesn’t Make Sense in Every City – Yet
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Electrification is a key step to creating low-carbon cities. Replacing fossil fuel-powered vehicles, stoves, furnaces with electric alternatives reduces emissions and creates a host of other benefits. But not all cities are equally suitable for electrification. In some cases, electrification is ...
Informal Workers Are Vital to Cities, ‘Legitimate Actors,’ Says Martha Chen
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Illegal. Criminal. A drag on the economy. These are just a few of the derisive labels that beleaguer urban informal workers, says Martha Chen, co-founder of and senior advisor to Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing. Informal workers – ...
5 Challenges and Solutions to Building Bike-Friendly Cities in Turkey
5 Challenges and Solutions to Building Bike-Friendly Cities in Turkey
The diverse economic, social and physical benefits of bicycling are no secret, yet many cities are hesitant to better accommodate growing numbers of bicycles on their streets. In October, WRI Turkey Sustainable Cities organized a workshop with representatives from 16 ...
Optimize, Electrify, Decarbonize: The 3 Steps to Thriving, Zero-Carbon Cities
Optimize, Electrify, Decarbonize: The 3 Steps to Thriving, Zero-Carbon Cities
Cities are currently both climate-culprit and climate-victim. They are already responsible for 70 percent of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and 65 percent of global energy demand; they could easily account for more than three-quarters of electricity use by 2030. ...
What It Will Take for Startups to Spearhead Innovation to Transform Urban India
What It Will Take for Startups to Spearhead Innovation to Transform Urban India
TheCityFix Labs India, supported by Citi Foundation, drives market transition toward sustainable investments through knowledge-sharing, capacity-building and technical assistance. Of 100 applications, the Labs recently selected a cohort of 10 projects to mentor and bring to fruition.   Set to ...
Too Many Cities Are Growing Out Rather Than Up. Three Reasons That’s a Problem.
Too Many Cities Are Growing Out Rather Than Up. Three Reasons That’s a Problem.
Imagine Lagos, Nigeria, a city of 22 million. What was once a small coastal town just a few decades ago has exploded into a sprawling megacity spanning 452 square miles. Its rapid growth has stretched the city’s services impossibly thin: ...
Photo Essay: Poor Communities in Surat, India, Take Climate Resilience into Their Own Hands
Photo Essay: Poor Communities in Surat, India, Take Climate Resilience into Their Own Hands
Urban flooding is a major and growing concern. Japan experienced floods and mudslides that killed more than 120 people last year. The Indian state of Kerala witnessed a 100-year flood that swamped several metropolitan areas. And a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on ...
7 Environment and Development Stories to Watch in 2019
7 Environment and Development Stories to Watch in 2019
One hundred years ago, 1919 was a really big year: Countries signed the Treaty of Versailles to end World War I, Mahatma Gandhi began his nonviolent resistance against British rule, the Grand Canyon became a national park. And on a ...
Live from Transforming Transportation 2019: The Convergence of Old and New Mobility
Live from Transforming Transportation 2019: The Convergence of Old and New Mobility
Why is Transforming Transportation (TT) 2019 focused on new mobility? Tech-driven disruptions in transport are already having huge impacts on our cities, said Ani Dasgupta, global director of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. “What do we need to do ...
Live From Transforming Transportation 2019: The Promise and Reality of New Mobility Today
Live From Transforming Transportation 2019: The Promise and Reality of New Mobility Today
When Transforming Transportation (TT) started 16 years ago, the transport landscape looked very different. Ride-hailing services were unheard of. Shared bike systems were exclusive to just a few cities. Smartphones were still years away. No one had heard of Facebook ...