Design
How two New York City parks helped change America
After exploring ten of the most important homes in American history, PBS's ongoing series 10 That Changed America continues with a survey of the ten parks that proved hugely influential on urban planning in the United States. And, unsurprisingly, two New York City parks have ended up on the list: Read More...
To design the perfect drone, follow nature's lead
Nature has found some elegant solutions to complicated problems and engineers have long been inspired by its designs. But Adrian Thomas thinks translating the best of nature’s discoveries into man-made devices requires the ability to step back and see the context. Thomas is a Professor of Read More...
"Bioinspired" researchers look to nature to solve humanity's biggest problems
When it comes to overcoming an array of varied problems with an even more diverse set of solutions, scientists have nothing on natural selection. Countless generations of millions of species have developed numerous ways to defy gravity, stick to objects while underwater, and even lift objects Read More...
Let it flow: The Netherlands has a new approach to water management
The Dutch have been building dikes—and controlling nature—for centuries as much of their country is below sea level. Global warming with rising sea levels poses new challenges for the Netherlands. As the chief water managers of the world, their response can be relevant for many sea-bordering Read More...
This landscape photographer uses a mirror to create stunning images
In the middle of an extremely salty and shallow desert lake in Australia, a photographer captured some extremely dramatic images of the sky reflected in the salt-scape of the lake. The photographer used a rectangular mirror along with his other photography equipment and stood it in the inch-deep Read More...
The slow lane: Dutch app allows elderly to 'hack' traffic lights
The distance from Noud Rommen’s front door to the local shops is just 100 yards, but to get there, the 71-year-old with mobility problems must negotiate a six-lane dual carriageway with a notoriously short pedestrian crossing time. “If I stick to the rules I can only get to the island Read More...
Will future office buildings harvest algae in their lobbies?
In a prototype of an urban algae farm now on display in an exhibition in Kazakhstan, shows how algae could fit inside existing buildings where people live and work. Designers suspended coils of lightweight glass tubes from the ceiling, attached to pumps that visitors can press to send carbon Read More...
China’s mega city will run entirely on renewable energy
If it were in any other country, the idea of creating a new city four times the size of Manhattan powered entirely by renewable energy might sound far-fetched. But this is China, where extraordinary projects are becoming almost the norm. Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting Read More...
African countries turn their overcrowded urban centers into 'smart cities'
Kigali, Rwanda Vision City, Rwanda’s largest housing project, sits on a hill overlooking the rest of Kigali. Its rows of whitewashed villas and townhouses stand out against the green landscape and shacks made of scrap metal and mud, in the slum in the valley below. Outside the main office, a Read More...
This gem has to be one of the most beautiful treehouses in the world
Who said treehouses are just for kids? In South Africa, a duo of architects recently completed the ultimate treehouse in the suburbs of Cape Town. The “vertically arranged” treehouse strikes a perfect balance between the human-made and nature, and is perched beautifully amongst the surrounding Read More...