cities
Leaders in the world’s largest cities almost universally recognize that climate change poses a “significant risk.” And they’re stepping up efforts to prepare for and minimize those risks in a number of ways. Cities in the C40 Climate Leadership Group have doubled the number of climate-focused actions they’
cities
How do you solve a pressing big-city problem? One way is to summon the political will to find and implement an actual solution. This is what Copenhagen is doing to reduce its carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. With a goal of becoming the “first carbon neutral capital” by
cities
Will the average resident of a city enjoy better opportunities for learning, entertainment and work with access to high-speed broadband? There’s no doubt that the answer is “Yes.” And will the typical person who commutes to a busy central business district every day benefit from a smart traffic system
cities
To their credit, lots of city leaders concerned about the future livability of their communities have been taking to heart the old wisdom about “thinking globally, acting locally.” In places like Europe, where the EU has established long-range sustainability goals, some cities have already gone well above and beyond such
cities
Today I went to a collaborative workshop held by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills on funding smart cities. The event was to capture the ideas of people who work in the smart cities industry to attempt to lay down some standards. The British Standards Institution was there to
cities
People and cities can’t survive without water. Too much water, though, can also be devastating, as communities from Atlantic City — slammed last fall by Hurricane Sandy — to China’s Kunming have been reminded recently. With sea levels already rising and at least another four feet of increase “locked in,
cities
For some cities, the issue of going “green” is becoming less important than going “resilient.” Officials in New York City – a municipality already well known for many green initiatives – are putting a new emphasis on becoming more storm-resistant since Hurricane Sandy caused billions in damage this past October. New strategies
cities
More people today live in cities than in rural areas … a first in human history. The question is: is this a good thing or a bad thing for sustainability? Past studies have suggested that compact urban living is more efficient, with a lower overall environmental footprint, than country living. At
cities
Time is running out for fast-growing cities in the developing world to prepare for the impacts of climate change while also reducing poverty among their citizens. “There is an important – but closing – window of opportunity for many cities to act now before they are locked into unsustainable and unsuitable development
cities
The ventilation standards most building engineers follow were developed decades ago … long before up was the only way remaining to build in our cities. That means skyscrapers are not only vertically stretching office buildings, but sources of unplanned-for air pollution to their downwind neighbors. With the aid of new building
cities
Starting Sept. 29, members of the public will be able to visit what’s being billed as the “world’s largest exhibition dedicated to sustainable urban development.” The Crystal, located in London and built by Siemens, is also supposed to be “one of the world’s greenest buildings.” Under construction
cities
The last 31 of 100 cities eligible for Smarter Cities Challenge grants from IBM have just been named. Among them: Belfast; Cape Town, South Africa; Christchurch, New Zealand; Foshan, China; Jeju, Korea; Lagos, Nigeria; Makati City, Philippines; Québec City, Canada; Reno, US; and Valparaiso, Chile. “This was a difficult decision