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Science is clearly showing that the world is shifting towards a more unstable climate. Weather events like the flash floods in Sydney last week will be more frequent and extreme, while the intervals between them will become shorter. With rising sea levels and frequent floods, water landscapes will become part of our urban routine.
Most Australian cities are already located along coastlines or... Read more
One major goal for elected officials and policymakers is to improve the happiness of their constituents in cost-effective ways. But how do individuals’ circumstances influence which policies are likely to make them feel more satisfied with their lives? In new research which draws on a large Connecticut-based survey, Christopher Barrington-Leigh and Jan Wollenberg find that improvements in areas... Read more
This publication showcases 50 innovative case studies from cities in the People’s Republic of China that are mitigating against and adapting to climate change.
Solutions being implemented in these cities are proving that reducing carbon dioxide emissions and protecting the environment need not sacrifice economic prosperity. This publication is an initiative of the Asian Development Bank to... Read more
BEIJING, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (4 December 2018) — Cities in developing Asia and the Pacific are growing fast, but this surge in urbanization has led to increasing pollution and environmental concerns, threatening to impact the quality of people’s lives. Innovative climate solutions in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), however, are demonstrating that it is possible for cities to pursue... Read more
Cities occupy a special place in our popular imagination. Think of any number of movies set, evocatively, in some of the world’s most prominent cities. London, New York City, and Tokyo may come to mind as the backdrop of many a romantic or action film. Cities are exciting, dynamic places, populated with a broad range of humanity, where many languages are spoken and food from all over the world is... Read more
How Emerging Factors Could Shift People Away from Cities
Introduction
It is widely assumed by experts that over the next half century the world’s urban populations will experience significantly higher rates of growth than rural populations will experience, thus leading to a shift in the rural–urban population ratio. Belief in this global transition, known as urbanization, is exemplified by the... Read more
Washington DC - 3 December, 2018 --The World Bank Group today announced a major new set of climate targets for 2021-2025, doubling its current 5-year investments to around $200 billion in support for countries to take ambitious climate action. The new plan significantly boosts support for adaptation and resilience, recognizing mounting climate change impacts on lives and livelihoods, especially... Read more
The technology of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is progressing rapidly, but have we really thought through how they’ll work in reality?
In its report on AVs in Australia, Austroads (the association of Australasian road transport and traffic agencies) paints both positive and negative scenarios for the future.
The positive scenario suggests that AVs could reduce car ownership and use thanks to a fleet... Read more
Big cities are increasingly turning to trees to help protect them from heatwaves and floods
By Alex Whiting
MANTUA, Italy - From Athens to Melbourne and Seoul to New York, big cities are increasingly turning to trees to help protect them from heatwaves and floods, and to boost people's physical and mental health, urban officials and environmental experts say.
South Korea's capital Seoul recently... Read more
City expansion has accelerated in recent decades, so much so that, by 2050, we could be creating a city the size of London every seven weeks if current trends continue, a new study warns.
Urban growth presents extreme challenges to biodiversity and ecosystem services due to the ongoing loss and fragmentation of habitats, says Burak Güneralp, assistant professor of geography at Texas A&M... Read more