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.
Animals in Utah find safe passage on wildlife overpass
Last month, we wrote about an animal crossing bridge in Los Angeles that will soon be built to help wildlife such as mountain lions safely cross over the US 101 freeway, which cuts through their habitat. Although we won't get to see the finished product until 2021, we can get a sense of how it will Read More...
Agrihood: This community combines suburban living with farming
Tsawassen, Vancouver has been a farming community for generations, but when suburban housing developments started cropping up, the Century Group development company was torn on how to best use the 500 acres of land it owned in the area. They came to the conclusion to use the land for an innovative Read More...
This company rapidly builds modular homes for the homeless
While building more permanent supportive housing is key to solving the Bay Area’s homelessness crisis, such development projects typically require a long permitting process. This means that it can take years for people experiencing homelessness to find a lasting solution. California-based Read More...
3D-printed buildings are reaching new heights in Germany
Earlier this month, we shared a story out of Belgium where a construction called Kamp C revealed the first 3D-printed two-story home. Although it is thought to be the biggest 3D-printed structure in the world right now, it won’t hold that title for long as architects in Germany are currently Read More...
What to do with the unused offices? This architect turns them into schools
As office buildings sit empty and more companies make the decision to remain remote indefinitely, architect Danish Kurani has turned the unfortunate circumstances into an opportunity and has designed an office-to-school conversion to transform these unused offices into educational spaces. The Read More...
Architects are turning hospital parking lots into modular ICU units
Hospitals overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic could soon find a much-needed capacity lifeline in modular emergency care units built right in their parking lots. Called STAAT Mod (Strategic, Temporary, Acuity-Adaptable Treatment), the prefab system is built in a factory and delivered by truck Read More...
This is how facades and pavements can be used to generate clean energy
Most countries in Europe have pledged to make a sustainability goal of an energy-neutral environment by mid-centruy. And while there’s no doubt that solar rooftops will play a key role in achieving that goal, a number of projects in Europe are proving that pavements and building facades too can Read More...
Barcelona will give 21 downtown streets back to pedestrians and cyclists
If you’re curious to see what urban planning that focuses on people rather than cars looks like, Barcelona is the right city to look at. A year ago, the Spanish city introduced its “Superblocks” project, which transforms nine-block grids of the city into areas that prioritize pedestrians and Read More...
San Francisco becomes latest city to ditch gas in new buildings
We recently discussed how Ojai, California is banning gas in new construction. Now, a much bigger city is tossing their hat in the gas-free ring. San Francisco’s board of supervisors unanimously voted this week to ban gas in new buildings, making it the second-largest city in the country to do so Read More...
New York’s first professional streetery builder is keeping restaurants afloat
At the beginning of the pandemic, outdoor dining looked like a shamble of folding tables quickly pushed into bike lanes and onto sidewalks. But now, after more than half a year, al-fresco pandemic meals include colorful fences, outdoor heaters, and even, in some cities, dining bubbles. New York Read More...