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The pandemic has given a stark illustration of how the built environment affects our health, but also shows the potential for change
Urban green spaces are suffering in a changing climate, just as communities have begun to value them more than ever. How can city authorities channel this enthusiasm to make public parks and gardens more resilient?
Excessive artificial light in cities is not only annoying and unpleasant, it’s harmful to human health and natural systems. Fortunately, it’s one of the easiest types of pollution to tackle, says Annukka Larsen
After COP 15, biodiversity must become a mainstream part of corporate strategy, says Margot Greenen. Companies have everything to gain by helping nature to recover — and much more to lose if they don’t
Decarbonization will mean doing everything differently. Policymakers and planners can use this momentum to unblock the potential of lagging regions
The zero-carbon economy will create new industrial heartlands — but sustainable growth depends on many other factors, too
It’s hard to justify new infrastructure in shrinking regions when there’s congestion elsewhere. So maybe we need to rethink how we calculate value
Within countries, the gulf between rich and poor regions has never been so wide. How can we arrest the decline of post-industrial areas, and stop major cities from sucking them dry?
Is going to the office good for our wellbeing? Michael B Friedman offers a psychological perspective on the part-time city
In October 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council recognized for the first time that access to a healthy environment is a universal right. UN Special Rapporteur David R Boyd explains why this matters
The rise of online deliveries by car, van or truck is choking our cities. Micromobility could make “last mile” logistics cleaner and healthier — as well as faster and more cost-effective, say Graham Pointer and Shifani Sood
Road closures and pop-up cycle lanes were a common aspect of the Covid-19 response across the UK. But few cities were as well placed as Exeter to act quickly, for the long term — and without upsetting too many local residents
Like many US inner cities, West Baltimore has been blighted by car-centric planning and historic disinvestment. Now, its transportation planners want to right past wrongs by turning an eight-lane expressway into a ‘Complete Street’
How do we measure something as complex as sustainability or equality in cities? The answer is right in front of us, says Helena Klintström. Just look at the health of the people who live there
Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of self-reliance in the Philippines’ most populous city
Our food system isn’t sustainable and it isn’t working. We urgently need to find new ways to feed fast-growing 21st century cities — or to help them feed themselves
“Forever chemicals” have been an issue on industrial sites for some time. Now we need to address them in urban spaces too, says Stefano Marconetto
Not only can we put a value on nature — we must, argues welfare economist Scott Cole. Offsets will be an essential part of the fight against biodiversity loss
The Covid experience has foregrounded the myriad ways in which the physical environment influences health and wellbeing
The lockdown experience has fundamentally changed the way that many of us relate to the built environment. Designers can make shared spaces safer — but can they make people feel safe again?
Three teams come up with solutions for greening essential — but not necessarily attractive — infrastructure
There are many ways in which the built environment not only reflects but reinforces social inequity. Does the way we plan and design cities need to change?
A London-based researcher explores why people from BAME backgrounds are less likely to use urban green spaces
Three ways of using transport data to tackle social exclusion
In Sweden, White Arkitekter is finding out how to make parks more gender-inclusive
We can think about corporate resilience in the same terms as wellness and self-care, say Kealy Herman and Emily Wasley
City leaders need to think beyond the parking space and activate streets for new, sustainable ways of living and moving around.
Net zero should bring wider ecological benefits, writes Tom Butterworth — but if we’re not careful, it could exacerbate another global crisis
Copenhagen’s new power plant shows that urban infrastructure can make great public spaces, writes Mark Bessoudo
The fusion of building tech, smartphones and wearables could make the post-pandemic workplace not just possible, but much, much better
Digital technologies can enable healthier, safer, more efficient buildings – and leverage assets that owners may not realize they have
Designing for wellbeing supports infection control now, but also resilience to future epidemics, writes building wellness specialist Meike Borchers
Vertical transportation is what makes multi-storey buildings possible. So what happens when enclosed spaces, push buttons and efficiency become the problem rather than the solution?