About Social Media Today
November 14, 2014
Richmond Reconnects the City to the River
Connection Richmond to the River
The cities of Richmond, Virginia, and Portland, Oregon, may not actually seem to have all that much in common, except they both have rivers that cut through them. In the case of Portland, it’s the Willamette River, and in Richmond, it’s the James River.[read more]
November 14, 2014
Urban Gardening Builds Strong, Cohesive Communities
Urban Gardening and Community
CNN recently described Cape Town, South Africa as being in the midst of a “vegoultion,” with hundreds of new community gardens and urban farms popping up throughout the city in recent years. The city’s “Green Clusters” are helping to improve the local environment while providing important social benefits.[read more]
November 14, 2014
A Vision for a More Cycling-Friendly London [VIDEO]
Cycling-Friendly London
As cycling becomes more popular as a mode of transport in London, Peter Murray – chairman of New London Architecture and the London Society - considers how integrated cycle infrastructure can benefit cities everywhere, and how in particular cycling might be better integrated in London’s urban fabric.[read more]
Recent Infographics
From Seat Coverings to Soccer Balls: Southwest Airlines' Massive Upcycling Program
Upcycling Seats to Soccer Balls
What would you do with 43 acres of used leather? Hard to imagine, isn’t it… the temptation, of course, would be to get rid of it as quickly and easily as possible. But most used leather has a lot of life left in it, so with a little imagination and elbow grease, all of that “waste” could be put to good use.[read more]
Equity, Health, and Climate Themes at the Forefront of Green Building Movement
Green Building Movement
I’ve just returned from my fourth Greenbuild, the annual green building conference and expo hosted by the US Green Building Council. This year, the event was held in New Orleans, adding to the experience elements of culture, music, food, and a powerful demonstration of urban resiliency concepts.[read more]
678 Green Roofs Counted in Central London – But Are There More?
The greening of central London
A map has been compiled of all the known green roofs in central London, and discovered almost 700 – but there are probably more. Their estimated total area is 175,000 m², equivalent to around 25 football pitches. Viewers are invited to submit others not already logged to make the map more complete.[read more]
WEBCAST: Herbert Girardet on Regenerative Cities Part 2
Herbert Girardet, co-founder of the World Future Council.
This is the second part of an interview with Herbert Girardet, co-founder of the World Future Council and author of 11 books on sustainable cities. In this part he discusses the second half of his book Creating Regenerative Cities and explores the concept of Ecopolis, a fictional city which embodies these ideals.[read more]
Exploring Mixed Use and the Human Dimension
Mixed Use Buildings
On a walk from Fréjus to Saint-Raphaël, an man asked why I had just taken a photo of his house. I offered to erase the photograph, which was intended to show, in modern urbanist visual language, the delight of a stamp and coin shop as first floor retail at an intersection across the world from our hometown.[read more]
When Increasing Housing Supply Won't Lower Rent
Rent and Housing Supply
In the debate about solving the housing affordability problem, the usual supply-demand model is too simple. Simple sells. If demand goes up, so must supply. Otherwise, housing becomes more expensive. Of course we should ease restrictions on building housing. Economics 101. What about Geography 101?[read more]
8 Standards for Transit Oriented Development
Transit Oriented Development
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is one of those buzzwords (or buzz acronyms?) that gets thrown around a lot in city building and real estate circles. But I suspect that most people don’t exactly know what it takes to design and build successful TOD projects and neighborhoods.[read more]
Suburbs of Survival
Suburbs and Housing
What if you didn’t have a house to live in? What if the only house you could live in at the present moment was not a shack, but had running water and electricity and a loving parent to make sure you wake up every morning even though your routine is currently more flexible?[read more]
Why A People-Centred Approach to Creating Public Space is Essential
Cape Town Public Space
Having launched the new City Walk project last week, Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana explains why a collaborative people-centric approach to Cape Town’s public space is so important.[read more]
Klyde Warren Park: Picture Perfect
Klyde Warren Park
When it comes to a potential model for the future of city parks, Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, Texas may not stand out among others purely based on looks, but it represents a leap forward in thinking about funding and how to develop parks in car-oriented cities.[read more]
Why Our City Makes Us Fat and Sick
Cities and Health
The reality of a Thembisa mother is such: she travels sometimes five hours a day, too and from her job in Brummeria. She spends half her monthly income to pay for this transport. She has to use multiple taxis and trains and walks long distances on foot.[read more]
Parks: In a Golden Age, Without Two Nickels?
Urban Parks and Innovation
It has been a good couple of weeks for news about city parks. Many of them have been featured in the press with a focus on the value they bring to cities. But in spite of all this good news about parks and the value they generate, most cities are still struggling to find enough revenue to operate and maintain them.[read more]
The Emerald Necklace: Metropolitan Greenspace Planning in American Cities
Green Urban Space Planning
Over 80% of the population in the United States now lives within urban megaregions, and this trend of rising urbanization is similar in countries around the world. Amidst significant investments in “grey” infrastructure to support growing metropolitan regions, conserving nature is increasingly challenging.[read more]
100 Smart Cities in India: Governing for Human Impact
Smart Cities in India
This summer, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced plans to build ‘100 smart cities’ across India in an effort to take advantage of the country’s recent urban boom and catalyze investment in Indian cities. His initiative will cost the government 1.15 billion USD for the first year.[read more]
'Sweet Rebellion': Reclaiming India's Streets with Raahgiri Day
Street Reclamation
Streets in India are famous for being epicenters of life and activity, and equally infamous for being traffic nightmares. Everyone with a desire to be on the streets finds a way to claim their space. Pedestrians play chicken with truck drivers, who dodge SUVs. There is an extreme lack of regulation and control.[read more]
New York's Public Transit Constrained by Debt Service
New York Public Transit
New York City is America’s most transit intensive big city, with nearly six of every ten residents commuting daily by bus or subway. The condition and daily operating efficiency of the transit system is critical to the prosperity of the city. One way to gauge the system is through the eyes of its daily users.[read more]
How to Create a Space for Urban Agriculture [VIDEO]
Urban Agriculture Space
Sheryl Ozinsky makes an impassioned plea for urban agriculture. She explains that the time is right for urban agriculture as a revolution of health and nutrition is unfolding. This revolution is a response to rising obesity levels and a proliferation of unhealthy food on the market today.[read more]
Inspiring People: Mitchell Silver, Commissioner of the New York Parks Department
New York Parks Commissioner
You know how you admire someone’s work from afar for years, hear all kinds of wonderful things about them, meet them over and over, and continue to learn more? That’s how I feel about the inspiring person I’ve chosen for this week, Mitchell Sliver, FAICP, Commissioner of the New York Parks Department.[read more]
Sustainable Cities Collective
What's New on
- YOU
- Julie Alexander
- Green Buildings Alive
- The Dirt ASLA
- Kaid Benfield
- This Big City
- Ivan Bruce
- Tyler Caine
- Centre for Cities
- Javier Corcuera
- Julian Dobson
- Neal Gorenflo
- Polis Inclusive
- Kristen Jeffers
- Warren Karlenzig
- Mark LeChevallier
- Jeremy Leggett
- David Levinson
- Laurie Main
- Marcus Mangeot
- Adam N Mayer
- Scott J Morrison
- Daniel Nairn
- Walid Norris
- Cape Town Partnership
- Améline Peterschmitt
- Camilo Prats
- Project for Public Spaces
- Douglas Reiser
- Oscar Rodriguez
- Jim Russell
- Andrew Schmidt
- Peter Smith
- Market Access & Insights Team Sustainability Outlook
- Neil Takemoto
- Environment and Urbanization
- Willemijn van Harinxma
- Renée van Staveren
- Allyn West
- Chuck Wolfe
- Fiona Woo
“Excellent! I'm so happy to see the concept of regenerative economies finally gaining acceptance among the sustainability crowd.My first book, The Restoration Economy had a chapter devoted to the difference between sustainable development and restorative development (AKA regeneration).That 2002 book also described the Catskill watershed regeneration program. I'm glad to see Herbert ...”
“Funny story: as an estate agent, I get clients who when looking for a new home, sometimes ask me to source sustainable living arrangements for them and it's fantastic that it's starting to become more widespread over the cities and towns. Not only for the good of the environment, but for the betterment and education of the people who didn't know that such things could be done!”