Do More Cyclists Mean a Happier City? Yes and No
Do More Cyclists Mean a Happier City? Yes and No
Across Colombia’s cities, bicycle users are the most satisfied commuters, according to a new survey. In 2016, 86 percent of bicyclists in 18 cities were satisfied with their commutes, compared to just 48 percent for mass transit and 74 percent ...
How a Small Experiment in Delhi’s Suburbs Sparked a National Car-Free Movement
How a Small Experiment in Delhi’s Suburbs Sparked a National Car-Free Movement
Imagine a city where roads that are normally clogged with traffic and clouded with smog are instead filled with people – rich and poor, young and old, men and women, all laughing, dancing, watching their children play, cycling Raahgand skating ...
Low-Carbon Cities Are Better for Your Health Than Any Superfood
Low-Carbon Cities Are Better for Your Health Than Any Superfood
Climate change is already harming people’s health. In August last year, over 45 million people in India, Bangladesh and Nepal were affected by unprecedented monsoon flooding, while last year’s Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest on record. The scale of ...
Getting Urban Transformation Right
Getting Urban Transformation Right
Every other Sunday, thousands of people spill onto otherwise auto-clogged city streets across India. For a few hours, the roadways are theirs – to walk, cycle, skate, practice yoga, CrossFit, even Zumba. Open streets days, known locally as Raahgiri Days, ...
4 Andean Cities Adapting to Glacier Retreat to Preserve Water Security
4 Andean Cities Adapting to Glacier Retreat to Preserve Water Security
Glaciers do more than feed our rivers and lakes, they also serve as critical savings banks for water withdrawals when other sources dry up. In South America, the glaciers and snowpack that crown the Andes provide slow, consistent meltwater that ...
From China to Colombia, 5 Cities Making Streets Safer by Design
From China to Colombia, 5 Cities Making Streets Safer by Design
In 2015, the global community committed to halving road deaths and serious injuries by 2020. But city streets are still not safe. More than 3,200 road fatalities occur every day, and this number is expected to increase threefold by 2030, ...
For Thriving Cities, People vs. Nature Is a False Choice
For Thriving Cities, People vs. Nature Is a False Choice
Municipal leaders face hundreds of difficult choices every day. With so many needs and worthy programs, how does one choose where to invest limited funding? In the face of pressing human needs, cities too often decide that funding for environmental ...
Kate Logan on How Data Transparency and Social Media Are Cleaning Up China’s Air: Fighting for Blue Skies
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In 2010, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing began reporting data on local air quality from a monitoring station on its roof. Once the dismal numbers were shared on Twitter, a storm of public outcry was unleashed that would culminate in ...
Raahgiri 2.0: Re-Engineering Car-Free Days for Smaller Cities in India
Raahgiri 2.0: Re-Engineering Car-Free Days for Smaller Cities in India
If you drive out of New Delhi west along National Highway 48, you will find yourself reaching a small district in Haryana state named Jhajjar. Just 50 miles from the national capital, its demographic contrast is unmistakable. The bustle and ...
There’s an Easy Way for National Governments to Help Cities Act on Climate Change – Give Them Data
There’s an Easy Way for National Governments to Help Cities Act on Climate Change – Give Them Data
Thousands of cities have committed to act on climate change, but few have yet turned their goals into tangible results. One of the important items that can help them begin is data from national governments. Establishing an “emissions inventory,” measuring how much greenhouse ...