Cities

Rich people are the big barrier to stabilising the climate

9 Nov 23 - Efforts to curb climate change are failing. That’s partly due to the staggering contributions of the global elite.

Tel Aviv has shade down to a science

17 Aug 22 - Along the tree-lined sidewalks of Tel Aviv’s Atidim Park, a business and commercial district in the north of the city, a curious new addition to the urban canopy arrived a few months ago.

Researchers pinpoint 12 tried-and-true ways to reduce cars in cities

5 May 22 - Cities can reduce the number of cars downtown by up to one-third through a series of carefully designed, layered policies, according to a new study.

Carbon-positive Otago plan before council

24 Feb 21 - The Otago Regional Council is considering joining a Carbon Zero Alliance proposed by the Dunedin City Council late last year.

Councils debating Climcom recommendations

23 Feb 21 - Greater Wellington and Waikato regional councils’ climate change committees both meet this afternoon to consider, among other things, responses to the Climate Change Commission’s 2021 draft report.

Grass keeps cities cool when heat goes on

23 Jun 20 - Keeping suburban parks green year-round can lower city temperatures by up to 12 deg during summer heatwaves, researchers say.

How the super-rich conquered London

2 Jun 20 - Over cups of tea in his ramshackle London home I chatted with a novelist. Talk inevitably turned to its expanding population of wealthy residents.

Covid sees bikes pushing cars out of cities

11 May 20 - Curfews paralysed traffic as the covid-19 pandemic hit many cities, but now the cities have started to promote the bicycle revolution and ban cars.

In 50 years, some cities will be too hot to handle

6 May 20 - Unless steps are taken to check global warming, up to three billion people will find themselves in areas too warm for human comfort, a new study finds.

Living in the Rainbow Tree with 30,000 plants

6 May 20 - Assuming the Rainbow Tree is actually built, the greenery-covered timber tower will rise to an impressive height of 115 m in Cebu, the Philippines.

Auckland air pollution quickly back in business

1 May 20 - Auckland’s air pollution is higher than ever, suggesting any cut in greenhouse gas emissions as a result of the covid-19 pandemic shutdown will be short-lived.

Will climate change end waterfront living?

23 Apr 20 - Developers are creating waterfront homes in Boston with innovative seawall defences but is this a model for other cities? Or a sign of climate gentrification?

It's positively alpine!: Cities taste fresh air

14 Apr 20 - Many of the world's major cities are enjoying improved air quality since restrictions were introduced due to the covid-19 coronavirus.

Hamilton wants covid cash for raft of projects

8 Apr 20 - Hamilton is going after a $1.5 billion share of the Government’s covid-19 recovery package with a suite of environmental projects.

Cities turn to freewheeling public transport

14 Feb 20 - In the United States, once the home of car culture, cities are increasingly experimenting with free public transport. But the idea is not an American preserve: it’s catching on fast across the globe.

BARS NOT CARS: What to do with your old parking buildings

19 Nov 19 - Shopper numbers in UK city centres are falling, leaving car parks empty – and councils are finding innovative ways to repurpose the space.

Can nests and eco bikes cut impact of delivering parcels?

6 Nov 19 - Cities are testing new systems to reduce the pollution and congestion caused by of the final leg of a package’s journey from warehouse to doorstep.

New Dubai city green revolution in the desert

31 Oct 19 - Fenced off by a wall of trees, about 20km from the high rises towering over Dubai’s city centre, lies a small solar-powered settlement aiming to become a green oasis in the desert.

Why don't all buildings have green roofs?

15 Oct 19 - Rooftops covered with grass, vegetable gardens and lush foliage are now a common sight in many cities around the world.