Why green infrastructure could help the economy bounce back after COVID-19
Of the 33 million Americans who have filed for unemployment since the coronavirus crisis began, many expect to get their jobs back—in one recent poll, 77% of workers who have been laid off or furloughed say that they expect their employers to rehire them. But economists say that may be overly Read More...
Paris is turning its motorist-friendly streets into post-lockdown cycleways
To minimize social contact and maximize daily physical activity, many cities around the world have been giving over road space to cyclists and pedestrians during the pandemic. While the idea is to give people the sort of generous space generally allotted to motorists, it’s also giving cities a Read More...
Copenhagen to have a park made out of multiple floating islands
Green spaces are one of the most important indicators of successful urban development. And with fast urbanization and the growing threat of climate change, urban planners are now increasingly preoccupied with finding creative ways to assimilate nature within cities, particularly with limited space Read More...
Milan plans to have fewer cars on its streets after lockdown
The coronavirus has shaken up many aspects of our lives, but this trying time should also be seen as a window of opportunity to lay the ground for meaningful change within our current structures. Milan, for one, is definitely not missing this chance to redesign the city to the benefit of its 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...
People are finally starting to oppose freeway expansion projects
Adding lanes for “traffic relief” remains politically popular, even though we see time and time again that it doesn’t work. In Texas, they’re making “road improvements” by adding lanes and widening highways. And, like so many gigantic urban highway projects of the past, I-45’s Read More...
Instead of a new airport, Mexico is now building a huge urban park
When plans to build a third runway at London’s Heathrow airport were canceled thanks to heavy objections from environmentalist groups, we at the Optimist Daily celebrated. The only thing that could have made it better is if they turned that proposed third runway into a natural park that would Read More...
How green urban planning can help protect the public from poor mental health
There is no single solution to the worldwide epidemic of poor mental health; addressing its root causes—like poverty-triggered stress and social isolation—and choosing effective treatment for sufferers remains paramount. One way to potentially partly buffer against the effects of poor mental Read More...
The case for banning SUVs from urban areas
After an SUV lost control and took the lives of 4 people in Berlin, the streets erupted with protesters who argued SUVs have no place in urban areas. And for good reason: SUVs are a paradox. While many people buy them to feel safer, they are statistically less safe than regular cars, both for Read More...
What do cities look like when they are built for people, not cars?
It turns out cities focused on people, rather than vehicles, are cleaner, quieter, have more public space, and even help you live longer. One city in Spain is showing the rest of the world how this might be done. Barcelona is revolutionizing city planning by taking areas equal to nine city Read More...