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.
Residents of this small Spanish town pay less taxes the more they recycle
The small Spanish town of La Nucía is located just 10 kilometers away from the touristy seaside resorts of Benidorm. But compared to its skyscraper-dominant neighbor, La Nucía’s architecture ranks high in sustainability rather than height. For over 20 years, the municipality has followed a Read More...
EU is giving away 60,000 free Interrail tickets to European youth
The European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas realizes that the coronavirus pandemic forced young people to “[miss] valuable and formative moments of their youth.” As a recognition of their sacrifice in the name of public health and safety, and to “rekindle mobility in Europe,” Read More...
This new tool is a roadmap for safe renewable energy development in Maine
Maine has identified a new tool to proceed with renewable energy expansion more sustainably. The state’s new Renewable Energy Siting Tool is an interactive map that allows officials and energy developers to identify the safest places for renewable energy projects where they will have the least Read More...
Celebrated landscape architect finds beauty in the margins of public space
The newly-established Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize honors advancements and innovation in landscape architecture. The inaugural winner of the award is Julie Bargmann, and when you look at the work she does, it’s no surprise that her work is being celebrated Read More...
Public libraries are climate justice tools
We’ve written about how libraries should double as food banks, but did you know that public libraries are also essential to climate justice? As more regions face extreme temperatures due to climate change, libraries are increasingly serving as refuges for heat-vulnerable residents. For Read More...
French roundabouts are understated hubs for public art
If you’ve ever driven through France, you’ve probably noticed the high number of roundabouts directing the flow of traffic. The Place Charles de Gaulle is the most famous French roundabout, but all across the country, communities are taking advantage of this unused space to create art Read More...
Birmingham switches gears from car-centric to low-traffic
Birmingham, the second-largest city in the UK, has announced a revolutionary transport plan designed to lower CO2 emissions and make the city more livable by transforming it from a car-centric area into a super-sized low-traffic neighborhood. The city currently has a population of 1.2 million Read More...
Mathematical visitation law can predict urban movement anywhere in the world
The hustle and bustle of city streets may seem like a random and chaotic movement of people, but researchers have discovered that this movement can in fact be predicted with a mathematical equation─a discovery that could hold implications for the study of disease and city planning. The model Read More...
Australia sends sunshine to Singapore in gigantic renewable energy project
We’d venture to say that all countries hope to take on renewable energy, especially since all evidence suggests that if we don’t curb our fossil fuel use, the world will go careening into climate catastrophe. However, not all countries have access to the resources needed to make the Read More...
St Andrews University embraces pollinator-friendly rewilding on campus
If you visit St. Andrews University in Scotland, you will probably be impressed by the beautiful campus, but the university is going above and beyond to make its grounds even more impressive by transitioning its lawns into pollinator-friendly meadows. The Urban Meadows for Pollinators Project Read More...