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.
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...
This discarded 1990s window design could help fight climate change
According to the United States Department of Energy, buildings use about 76 percent of electricity in the US and are responsible for about 40 percent of all direct and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the country. This means that reducing energy consumption from buildings is an Read More...
What cities around the world can learn from Europe’s greenest capital
While an increasing number of major cities are striving to become more climate-friendly, one particular European capital stands out with its sustainability efforts so far. It’s no other than Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, whose notable climate measures have won it the title of the European Green Read More...
A four day workweek? 10 reasons it’s a great idea
While enduring the global pandemic, many of us have had the chance to reassess our values and goals for our lives. This has set the scene for many companies, workplaces, and even entire countries to toy with the possibility of implementing a four-day workweek. We’ve shared several stories Read More...
This solar panel covered building reflects Taiwan’s green energy transition
Most projects designed by the Dutch architecture firm MVRDV tend to leave a lasting impression on whoever lays their eyes on them. The company's upcoming project, Sun Rock, is no exception. Designed for Taiwan’s government-owned power company Taipower, the project takes the form of a building Read More...
These sustainably powered homes can raise families out of poverty
Finding and sharing positive ways to tackle the world’s challenges is our favorite activity at The Optimist Daily, so it’s no surprise that we are especially excited about BillionBricks and Architecture Brio’s PowerHyde solar homes, as they tackle both the global housing issue and the climate Read More...
Sweden combats fake news with new agency
The pandemic brought on a host of problems; however, it also gave us the opportunity to pay more attention to other issues that flew under the radar while we were busy getting through our hectic pre-pandemic schedules. One of these concerns is the dominance of misinformation or “fake news.” Read More...
This ingenious solution tackles food waste and insecurity at once
Food waste is a particularly infuriating problem because so much is wasted. According to nonprofit FoodPrint, almost 40 percent of all food in America, much of it still edible, is chucked out. All while at least a tenth of the world’s population (around 800 million people) are struggling with Read More...
Berlin plans to have the world’s largest car-free urban area
In recent years, many cities around the world have become much more aware of the plight of designing our urban spaces with a car-centric mentality. In Europe in particular, cities like Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, and Stockholm are well ahead when it comes to reclaiming urban space from cars in Read More...