Sustainable Urban Development
With cities expected to host about 70 percent of the world's population, sustainable urban development is key to making communities worldwide more resilient against the growing threat of climate change. Find out about the latest urban practices from across the world aiming to make our cities more sustainable and inclusive in these good-news stories from The Optimist Daily.
How car-free streets unite communities: A firsthand account from Oakland
The Optimist Daily has never been shy to support urban planning that favors pedestrians over motorists. Not only does it make the streets safer, but it can also clean up the air in a city dramatically. But beyond all this, perhaps the biggest benefit of clearing the streets of cars is that it turns Read More...
These colorful dome houses were built to help empower the local community
Reimagining the way we give rise to our built environment is key to reducing its heavy environmental footprint. A compelling architectural project in Iran shines light on how this can be achieved by engaging local communities as well as using simple materials that have been around for Read More...
How Phoenix is feeding the hungry and saving local businesses
Like most cities around the world, Phoenix, Arizona had its restaurant and hospitality industries ravaged by the pandemic. When the city received its federal CARES Act relief, it decided to allocate $951,000 towards an ambitious goal: saving the city’s farms and restaurants and providing food to Read More...
These American cities will pay you $10,000 to move there
Working from home became the norm for millions of Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, and it doesn’t look like that will be changing any time soon. For many remote workers, that means it no longer matters whether or not they live in close proximity to your job. If that’s the case for Read More...
Architecture firm reimagines the mall as a green community space
While commercial centers such as shopping malls don’t necessarily evoke a community feel, a Thai architecture firm seeks to flip the script by reimagining the typical Southeast Asian mega-malls as green community hubs. The design firm, called Architectkidd, has recently completed the first of Read More...
This futuristic footbridge in Paris is an ode to sustainable urban design
Known for their tendency to blend architecture, technology, and nature in a most compelling way, Vincent Callebaut Architectures have recently revealed their latest sustainable design — a green footbridge that aims to make Paris a more liveable and sustainable place to live. Called ‘the Green Read More...
The largest wildlife bridge in America has just opened in San Antonio
In recent months, we’ve shared a couple of stories about highway crossings for wildlife in the US. The first came in October when it was announced that a giant wildlife bridge would be built in the Los Angeles area to help mountain lions and other native animals cross over the US 101 freeway. Read More...
This manifesto calls on urban designers to build for a sustainable future
With today’s rapid rate of urbanization, cities across the world are facing increasing pressure to expand their built environment. However, if we are to prevent the looming threats of the climate crisis, urban planners need to rethink the way we build our homes. A recent manifesto was written by Read More...
Santa Barbara replaces derogatory street name with beautiful alternative
We often report on bills, laws, and leaders making forward progress around the world, but often these nationwide changes start with small local initiatives. One such example this week is from Santa Barbara, California where residents said goodbye to a symbol of racism and oppression in their Read More...
54 global cities on track to meet climate targets from the Paris agreement
Just ahead of the fifth anniversary of the landmark Paris climate agreement, a new study by the C40 cities network has some great news. A total of 54 of the world’s leading cities are on track to meet targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris agreement, which is crucial for Read More...