Managing water: how digital twins reveal hidden leaks
Water infrastructure is often underground out of sight. New digital tools can make the invisible visible, and offer a solution to the perennial problem of leaking pipes
Water: climate change brings new risks for industry
Major users can no longer take water for granted. Climate change is forcing companies to confront an array of heightened risks — from shortages and flooding, to reputational damage and conflict with neighbours
Water: New Zealand applies Maori philosophy to 21st-century challenges
Aotearoa New Zealand is taking a radical approach to water management — based on Māori principles that prioritize the health of water above all other needs
‘Mussels have a carbon footprint even lower than apples or carrots’
Not only are blue mussels a low-carbon protein source, they can clean water of pollution too. Are they the missing link in the sustainable food chain?
The trouble with vertical farms…
Fruit and vegetables must have strong, direct overhead light — which means recreating the sun
The whey forward: can lab-grown meat and animal-free dairy change the world?
Life cycle assessments show that ‘clean’ production methods are drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Roots of recovery: Christchurch’s urban farm
New Zealand earthquake prompted 10-year plan to “look after ourselves”
Urban agriculture: 160 farms in Quezon City
Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of self-reliance in the Philippines’ most populous city
Modular buildings: movable, interchangeable, but are they flexible?
Additive architecture has a mixed history, and pods are not exactly suited to creating open spaces, but plug-in buildings may offer other advantages
Adaptable secrets of (very) old buildings
Heritage buildings are often masters of reinvention — what can today’s designers learn from them?
Flexible buildings: the problem with mixing layers
Different parts of a building evolve at different speeds, so it makes sense to keep them separate
Smart tech: another layer of flexibility
An adaptable overlay of smart modes could help buildings to remain useful for longer
Are parks whiter by design?
A London-based researcher explores why people from BAME backgrounds are less likely to use urban green spaces
How smarter mobility can make cities more equitable
Three ways of using transport data to tackle social exclusion
Public spaces that girls want to use: a design problem
In Sweden, White Arkitekter is finding out how to make parks more gender-inclusive
Future of healthcare: telemedicine and drones bring universal access nearer
Technology will be critical to expanding provision in remote areas
Future of healthcare: prepare for the unexpected
Healthcare facilities need to be resilient to a range of perils, known and unknown
Future of healthcare: how can smart hospitals support healing?
Digital technologies don’t just make hospitals more efficient
Future of healthcare: cities are the most powerful tools we have
“Regardless of the country, the evidence about what shapes the health of the population is pretty consistent, and healthcare isn’t the biggest determinant”
Future of healthcare: an interview with Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a world leader in healthcare, with a US$2.5bn global construction programme. So what does it think the future looks like?
Future of healthcare: Telemedicine 2.0
Telemedicine will be an integral part of our healthcare future, and COVID-19 is accelerating the transition. But it will only reach its full potential if it is accessible to all, including society’s most vulnerable
Embodied carbon: The Mysteries of Measurement
The process of defining and calculating embodied carbon is complex, occasionally contradictory and constantly evolving
Embodied Carbon: The High Price of Over-Design
We need to completely rethink the way we use structural materials, argues Cambridge engineering expert Julian Allwood
Embodied carbon: The Complicated Case of Concrete
Can there be good, sustainable reasons to specify cement-based structures?
Fun is coming in from the cold: the vital urban role of entertainment
Entertainment will be at the centre of tomorrow’s cities
“One night we’re Atlanta United, the next day we’re Atlanta Falcons”
The 70,000-seat Mercedes-Benz stadium has multiple identities — but always puts fans first
The real home advantage: how stadiums drive sports teams’ success
Stadium revenues are a major differentiator between teams, and one of the few parts of the business plan they can modify
Beating the competition: your sofa
The smart venues of the future will make going out almost as effortless as staying home …
Mission Impossible: can PY1 make us put our phones away?
From the team behind Cirque du Soleil, Montreal’s PY1 takes immersiveness to new depths
Five places that inspired the Conscious Cities movement
Conscious Cities founder Itai Palti on his influences — good and bad
Bounce-back effect: the complex relationship between trees and pollution
Trees and hedges can mitigate pollution … but also exacerbate it
‘As effective as ten trees’: can building materials and biotech suck pollution from the air?
Can building materials and biotech help to suck pollution from the air?