Londoners are commuting safely to work on open air double-decker buses
With the coronavirus being shown to spread more rapidly in indoor spaces, a London-based company is offering commuters an alternative way to get to work: double-decker open-topped buses. London has 233 roof-less tourist buses, but with tourism at a standstill, on-demand bus company Snap wants to Read More...
Urban planners now know which tree is best for sound absorption in the city
Cities are notoriously noisy places, which is why urban planners are increasingly turning to trees as a buffer for noise. To identify which trees do the best job at muffling noise, researchers from University College London (UCL) recently evaluated 13 species of tree such as beech or willow trees Read More...
The beautiful perspective to be had from viewing images of empty cities
From the agoras of ancient Greece to Times Square in New York City, public plazas remain magnets to society, places to which we gravitate for pleasure and solace, to take our collective temperature, celebrate, protest. It’s no wonder, then, that the present emptiness that looms over these Read More...
Shady trees are saving the city of London billions
London’s leafy streets and gardens have long been prized for their beauty — and more recently their ability to counteract carbon emissions and improve air quality. But the value of urban trees can also be measured with money. A new report from Britain’s Office of National Statistics Read More...
London to start heating homes using ‘waste heat’ from the city’s underground
If you frequently commute via the metro, you’ve probably noticed the hot gusts of air that tend to blow out of train tunnels. In London, a new project seeks to harness the heat from the underground metro in order to heat homes in the north of the city during the colder months of the year. The Read More...
This London building has the world's largest living wall
For some time already, climate scientists have highlighted that our built environment has the potential to help mitigate climate change, support adaptation, and improve public health. The general idea is that the way we design and develop our cities can have a long-lasting positive impact on the Read More...
This hotel in London is made out of 25 recycled shipping containers
Shipping containers have been used for a wide range of projects, from tiny houses to apartment buildings, and, despite their limitations, continue to spark the imaginations of architects. The latest example of this comes from UK design studio, Doone Silver Kerr, which used the metal boxes to create Read More...
London’s air pollution fell by roughly a third after new emissions rules
In 2017, the city of London announced a “toxicity charge” on older vehicles that spewed emissions. Two years later, the city launched the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which requires drivers to meet specific emission standards or pay a daily fine. The rules are rather strict on Read More...
The River Thames was once declared biologically dead. Now it’s a haven for seals
The River Thames is known for many things, but cleanliness isn’t one of them. The English river has been a highway, a sewer and was declared biologically dead 62 years ago. But things have changed. According to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), researchers counted 138 baby seals living in Read More...
This digital directory shows Londoners where to shop for zero-waste goods
Even if people want to live a zero-waste lifestyle, it can be difficult to know where to go to get zero-waste goods. That’s why ethical creatives agency Nice and Serious has developed an online platform that directs people in London to their closest zero-waste shops and offers tips on how to Read More...