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.
Lisbon to turn short-term rentals into affordable housing for key workers
Over the last couple of years, tourism in Lisbon has surged dramatically, leading to strong demand for Airbnb-style short-term rentals, which in turn has helped push prices up and local residents out. But, similarly to many other tourist hotspots around the world, the lockdown has drained the Read More...
The Optimist View: Renting is rewarding with Rhove
“There’s no problem that I think is worth solving more than this one at this moment in our country and the concept is really that every renter should be an owner and it should be as easy as the click of a button.” - Calvin Cooper 20 years ago, buying a first home was a benchmark moment for Read More...
Why this startup is giving renters a financial stake in their apartments
When someone rents an apartment in a new complex in Columbus, Ohio, they can now also get a financial stake in the building. The property is the first to partner with Rhove, a startup that wants to help shrink the wealth gap between renters and homeowners by offering “rentership,” an asset Read More...
This NBA team will turn its arena into a polling station to attract voters
Citizens in cities across America have lamented the lack of polling stations in predominately African American precincts, and Atlanta is no different. The June 9 primary elections were beset by logistical problems, with many Georgians enduring waits of several hours to vote. In an effort to help Read More...
How public works projects could help the US rebound from the pandemic
During the Great Depression, the federal government enacted the Civilian Conservation Corps to employ millions of young Americans and improve federal land by planting trees, building ranger stations, and creating trails. Today, as we face an economic downturn potentially worse than the 1930s, some Read More...
Rotterdam to build another sustainable floating farm for chickens
Last year, Rotterdam became home to the world’s first floating dairy farm, showing a radical new way of bringing farming back into the city, with minimal impact on resources and the environment. Now, a similarly eye-catching agricultural project is ready to take off in the city’s harbor. The Read More...
Affordable housing in South Bronx ranks high on sustainability
The Melrose neighborhood of the South Bronx has recently added a residential building to its urban setting that stands out in more ways than one. Designed by NYC-based Curtis + Ginsberg Architects, the 15-stories-tall dwelling is an energy powerhouse and a new affordable housing community with Read More...
Infrastructure changes to sustain falling emissions past the pandemic
Throughout the pandemic, we’ve covered stories of reduced emissions and environmental recovery, but now we face the daunting question of how to maintain lowered emissions as we reopen the economy. In most cities, transportation is the first or second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and Read More...
This Mexican highway is now flanked by lush vertical gardens
If you drive along Mexico City’s iconic Beltway expressway, you will notice a new green makeover of the roadway pillars. The renamed "Vía Verde" includes 1,000 concrete columns covered in lush vegetation to create 15 acres of vertical gardens. The pillars serve to both beautify the area Read More...
Public parks are showing their worth amid protests and the pandemic
During this extraordinary time in America’s cities — weeks of coronavirus lockdowns followed by mass protests against police violence and racial inequality — one theme runs through the twinned crises: the power and value of public spaces. The nation’s parks experienced a surge of use during Read More...