Today’s Solutions: October 31, 2024

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.

Amsterdam is eliminating thous

Amsterdam is eliminating thousands of parking spaces—and people love it

Taking away thousands of parking spaces each year in a major city in America would be an unimaginable prospect. In Amsterdam, it’s becoming the norm. Earlier this year, local leaders announced plans to scale back parking in Amsterdam’s core by about 1,500 spaces per year. The Dutch capital Read More...

Baltimore is leading the natio

Baltimore is leading the nation when it comes urban forests

Few amenities better reveal the overall vigor of a city than its canopy: the mix of trees that line streets, envelop parks, and shade homes. A good canopy can reduce the urban heat island, and instill true health and wellness to a community. Yet despite those benefits, America’s metropolitan Read More...

Major architecture firm pledge

Major architecture firm pledges to make all its buildings carbon-neutral by 2030

One of the most overlooked sources of greenhouse gas emissions is in buildings. The energy that goes into constructing buildings, the materials that go into it, and the heating and cooling systems used by buildings all add up to a whole lot of emissions. In 2018, the World Green Building Council Read More...

Atlanta will soon be home to t

Atlanta will soon be home to the nation’s largest public food forest

In Seattle, an “edible urban forest” exists where people are allowed to walk in and pluck fruits and veggies for free. The idea behind Seattle’s Beacon Food Forest is to boost public health by regenerating public land into an edible forest ecosystem where people who suffer from food Read More...

Here’s what our neighborhood

Here’s what our neighborhoods can learn from the Netherlands

Oftentimes when you walk down the streets of suburbs in America, you have the feeling that something is missing: people! While there’s plenty of space for kids to play and parents to chat with neighbors, the reality is that most people tend to spend their time in their own private spaces. Read More...

This is what the zero-carbon f

This is what the zero-carbon future of cities will look like

In most cities, buildings are responsible for more than half of emissions. Especially considering that more people are living in cities than ever before, the need for more innovative buildings that use resources sparingly is of extreme importance if we want to solve the climate crisis. With this Read More...

Full access to zero-waste good

Full access to zero-waste goods will soon be the ultimate apartment amenity

A parking garage or high-speed Internet may be the apartment amenities that renters most desire these days, but in the near future, it might be having access to closed-loop consumerism. Brookfield Properties, a global property management firm, recently announced plans to partner with Loop, a new Read More...

The area around the Eiffel Tow

The area around the Eiffel Tower in Paris is getting a green, car-free makeover

One of the world’s most recognizable urban spaces is slated to get a dramatic makeover. According to the plan, the currently car-filled bridge connecting the Eiffel Tower with the Métro subway system will be turned into a pedestrianized garden, stringing together a set of two new public squares Read More...

Why living near public ameniti

Why living near public amenities such as parks can change your life

As our political discourse generates derision and dissension, our time in the virtual world crowds out our time in the actual one, and trust in our institutions and each other has plummeted, local places such as markets, libraries, and coffee shops can help. A new study shows that living near Read More...

This program will make these f

This program will make these five American cities bike-friendly by 2020

When it comes to quick, efficient, inexpensive, and relatively enjoyable ways for cities to lower their carbon emissions, it’s hard to beat bike lanes and good public transit. Well-designed, safe cycling infrastructure encourages more people to ride bikes that emit no carbon and take up a lot Read More...