The urban cooling gap: why planting design matters as much as canopy count
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Street trees reduce urban heat. That much is established. What’s less settled is whether they’re enough on their own, or whether the way a city plants matters as much as how much it plants. New field research from Melbourne, Munich, and Hong Kong, led Read More...
Amsterdam strips meat and fossil fuel ads from its public spaces
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Since May 1, Amsterdam’s billboards and tram shelters no longer carry ads for burgers, petrol cars, or cheap flights. The Dutch capital is now the first in the world to ban public advertising for both meat and fossil fuel products. Where chicken nuggets Read More...
What Hanoi learned by tearing down its park fences and opening up to everyone
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In many cities, entering a park is a deliberate act. You adjust your route, find a gate, and cross from public pavement into a space that operates by its own rules, even if those rules are minimal. Hanoi is dismantling that dynamic. Across four major Read More...
VR study shows bright colors and green spaces bring joy to cities
We at The Optimist Daily have written a great deal about the positive effects of greenery in cities. They sequester carbon, boost climate resiliency, and they cheer people up. Now, there is research to support greenery, along with bright colors, making cities more enjoyable. A study from the Read More...
Urban greenery could have saved how many lives?
Boston University has recently released a series of papers revealing the benefits of greenery on mental and physical health. Previous studies have concluded that spending time in greenery reduces the risk of dementia and boosts cognitive function. Their most recent study is focussing on how Read More...
How city infrastructure is aiding Ukrainians in resisting Russia
A recent article in Bloomberg CityLab by Shlomo Angel, professor of city planning and former Captain of the Israeli Defense Forces, elaborates on how Ukraine could endure the war now that the fight has been brought to its cities. He emphasizes the incredible difficulty an invading army faces when Read More...
Fractals: why your brain prefers nature over cities
You’re probably very aware at this point that it’s healthy for you to spend more time outside. While we’ve certainly written about it a great deal, scientists keep unveiling new findings about the relationship between lower stress and nature. For instance, new research from the Read More...
City trees may trap more CO2 than we thought
It’s becoming common knowledge at this point that trees greatly benefit cities and the people that call them home. City trees and urban green areas regulate temperature, improve mental health and reduce loneliness for urbanites, clean the air and even reduce crime rates. Our tall, green friends Read More...
Cargo e-bikes are here to make parcel delivery more efficient
The final step in parcel delivery is called the “last mile”. It is essentially the stage of a product’s journey from a warehouse, into a truck, and finally to the buyer’s doorstep. While key to customer satisfaction, this final step is also overwhelmingly inefficient. This is because Read More...
European cities could see a lot less cars on the roads in the near future
As local governments are finally coming to the realization that prioritizing cycling and walking over driving can tremendously benefit their residents, many are considering implementing permanent policies to tackle car-centric city development. In a bid to accelerate the adoption of such policies, Read More...