Sustainable Urban Development
With cities expected to host about 70 percent of the world's population, sustainable urban development is key to making communities worldwide more resilient against the growing threat of climate change. Find out about the latest urban practices from across the world aiming to make our cities more sustainable and inclusive in these good-news stories from The Optimist Daily.
Small brick hospital in Bangladesh wins world's best building
This year, the recipient of the renowned Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) international prize for the world’s best building is a small brick hospital situated in rural Bangladesh. The architect, director of Urbana Kashef Chowdhury, managed to create a functional yet elegant Read More...
High-schooler presents first student-written bill for UK climate education
Youth climate activist Scarlett Westbrook decided that she was fed up with the lack of formal education UK students receive on the devastating climate crisis. At one point during a geography exam, she was even asked to list the benefits of climate change — and while this was disappointing, she Read More...
Make your green thumb even greener by cultivating a zero-waste garden
If the thought that’s keeping you warm through these winter months is looking forward to getting back into your garden, you're surely not alone. We’ve shared many stories that tout the benefits of gardening, not only for the gardeners’ overall health but for the health of our natural Read More...
Better air quality during initial lockdowns saved hundreds of lives
New research suggests that more than 800 lives may have been saved across Europe due to improved air quality during the initial Covid lockdowns. Transportation restrictions meant that there were far fewer cars and transport trucks on the roads, which made the most impact on air quality according Read More...
Fake poop helps tiny endangered owls find new homes
Following decades of human encroachment into California’s grasslands, the once common Western Burrowing Owl is now considered endangered. In an effort to protect the tiny birds from new building developments in US regions like Silicon Valley, local conservationists have been trying for years to Read More...
How a Karachi resident turned a neglected park into an urban oasis
Hot weather is nothing new to people living in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, where heatwaves can sometimes bring life-threatening temperatures of 44˚C upon its population of 15 million. But while the shade is in high demand in this concrete jungle, greenery is rather scarce. In light of Read More...
Restaurant messaging can help consumers choose plant-based meals
Most people will agree (regardless of their personal diets) that on the whole, the livestock and meat production industry is certainly not climate-friendly. The food industry alone accounts for more than a third of the world’s total annual planet-heating emissions, and a big chunk of that comes Read More...
Tel-Aviv could soon follow Amsterdam in adopting Doughnut Economics
In April 2020, we wrote about Amsterdam’s decision to implement a new economic model that seeks to meet the core needs of all humanity within the means of the planet. Now, a forum dedicated to advancing the adoption of this concept across the world was launched in Israel last week. The concept Read More...
Brighton passes buzz-worthy law requiring bee bricks
The city of Brighton and Hove in England have introduced a new planning law worth buzzing about—the law requires new buildings to include special bricks that have little nests for solitary bees. The Brighton & Hove Council’s policy specifies that all new buildings over five meters tall Read More...
These recycled plastic blocks offer a constructive solution for plastic pollution
At The Optimist Daily, we never tire of sharing solutions that tackle the gargantuan problem of plastic pollution. Single-use non-recyclable plastic products are prolific in this day and age, and present an undeniably challenging problem for us, for the world’s ecosystems, and for all the Read More...