Resilience: It’s more than ‘green’ or ‘smart’
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...
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How is a social business a better business?
We’ve all heard the stats about the explosion of social media users. One-billion-plus on Facebook. One hundred seventy-five million Tweets a day. An expected 5 billion professional searches on LinkedIn...
View ArticleMeet the ‘best for the world’ businesses
Businesses that have won B Corporation certification for their social and environmental impact aren’t necessarily the best in the world, but they are among the best for the world, the organization...
View ArticleRoad to ‘smart’ cities is paved with innovation opportunities
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...
View ArticleTo future-proof cities, think beyond the borders
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...
View ArticleSmart-city news in review: Oct. 11, 2013
The Guggenheim Museum has opened (Oct. 10, 2013) an exhibition called “Participatory City: 100 Urban Trends from the BMW Guggenheim Lab.” The exhibit features ideas drawn from a traveling lab that...
View Article‘Smarter’ isn’t enough … cities also need ‘better’
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...
View ArticleTo prepare for future, cities need goals and political will
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...
View ArticleDo EU sustainable city policies work?
It makes sense that Europe would try to take a lead in developing smarter, more sustainable cities for the 21st century. While it’s far from the most populous continent, it is one of the most...
View ArticleSmart-city news in review: Nov. 29, 2013
The deputy mayor of Barcelona has urged city officials to put citizens and regulation at the heart of smart city developments – not technology and architecture. While technology has its place in the...
View ArticleRE.WORK Cities says urban innovation is key to sustainable future
The future lies in the world’s cities. With an expanding and increasingly mobile global population, policy-makers, developers and designers are focusing on the urban landscape. Yet there are daunting...
View ArticleDespite green reputations, EU cities’ climate plans fall short
Europe is widely regarded as being more committed to climate action than, say, the US or Australia. It not only has specific regional goals (for example, a 20 percent cut in greenhouse gases by 2020),...
View ArticleLondon moves toward zero-emission taxi fleets
China’s BYD is supplying the London-based car-hire company Thriev with 20 electric sedans as the city itself moves toward its goal of a city-wide fleet of zero-emissions cars for hire. As part of their...
View ArticleKeeping cities food-secure raises policy questions
Some major cities are far more food-secure than others, a first-ever study of three large metropolitan food systems has found. The Australian capital of Canberra, for example, derives the majority of...
View ArticleWorld’s megacities pick up pace on climate action
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...
View ArticleSustainable Cities Institute launches online ‘toolkit’
The National League of Cities’ Sustainable Cities Institute has launched a redesigned website to offer practical information and helpful resources to city leaders. The new site is designed as a...
View ArticleHigh-carbon suburbs drag down city climate efforts
Densely populated big cities have earned a reputation for being energy- and carbon-efficient places to live. Unfortunately, the sprawling suburbs that typically surround those cities pretty much cancel...
View ArticleRestoring London’s rivers could prevent flooding
Restoring London’s rivers and flood basins to their natural state would help protect 24,000 homes from risks of flooding, according to a motion passed by the London Assembly. The motion, passed on Feb....
View ArticleEurope ‘must keep climate ambitions high’
A group of more than 1,000 European cities in “energy transition” is urging the European Council to remain committed to ambitious climate and energy goals for 2030. Energy Cities sent the message based...
View ArticleLondon cycling good for health, could be safer
London’s “Boris bikes” are proving to be a health boon for men and older cyclists. However, the city’s bicycle hire program could deliver even better health benefits to citizens in general if cycling...
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