Milton Keynes is testing driverless buses as part of its efforts to enhance urban mobility
Author | Raquel C. Pico One of the main challenges cities worldwide must address is the optimization of urban mobility. Modern transportation must respond to the growing demands of citizen mobility, the increasing urban population, and sustainability goals that call for green and clean transport solutions. The real challenge lies in how to achieve this. […]
Paris has already cut its air pollution by half, but this is only the beginning
Author | Raquel C. Pico Air pollution remains one of the main challenges cities must address. Pollution has become an urban nightmare, directly affecting people’s health. It is linked to a rise in various illnesses and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, posing a threat to the planet and demanding urgent action. Major cities and State […]
Habitat 67: a brutalist icon where suburban home meets urban apartment
Author | Lucía Burbano Now that the polarizing brutalism has returned to the spotlight with the movie The Brutalist, we revisit an icon that epitomizes this functional, geometric architecture rooted in reinforced concrete: Habitat 67, located in Canada, stands proudly among the classics of brutalist architecture, rivaling icons like the Barbican in London, Las Torres […]
Cleaner, quieter, more affordable: How pneumatic waste collection works
Author | Elvira Esparza Can you imagine not waking up to the disruptive noise of a waste collection truck emptying bins in the middle of the night? In some cities, this is now possible thanks to the installation of underground pneumatic waste collection systems. This system not only minimizes noise but also helps keep streets […]
The water scarcity problem (and how cities are preparing to tackle it)
Author | Lucía Burbano According to the latest State of Global Water Resources report, published in 2023 by the World Meteorological Organization, the water cycle is becoming increasingly disrupted due to climate change and human activities. This imbalance is leading to extreme droughts and violent showers, both of which are causing devastating consequences for millions […]
How underutilized urban spaces are being repurposed for sports
Author | Raquel C. Pico In the race toward sustainable development, urban development plays a crucial role. Firstly, as an ever-increasing proportion of the global population relocates to cities, the challenges of the future are increasingly urban in nature. Furthermore, cities themselves have begun to exhibit signs of strain, underscoring the urgent need for urban […]
Are prefab homes the solution to housing access in the UK?
Author | Lucía Burbano The United Kingdom is currently facing the most significant residential crisis in the past decade, driven by a combination of factors: the imbalance between supply and demand, a shortage of labor, and reduced access to construction materials. In this context, prefabricated construction emerges as a potential solution, having already been successfully […]
Fiat factory to mixed-use building: an architectural history of the iconic Lingotto
Author | Lucía Burbano The Lingotto Fiat factory, a century-old architectural icon in Turin, Italy, is a prime example of how a building can transform and adapt its original purpose to meet today’s needs. The Lingotto was a pioneer of industrial architecture for several reasons. The main reason is that it exemplifies the “vertical factory” […]
How Valencia and Tallinn are using entrepreneurship to mitigate disasters
Author | Elvira Esparza Valencia and Tallinn have launched initiatives that encourage startups to develop innovative solutions aimed at mitigating the impacts of natural disasters. The aim of this initiative is to develop innovative solutions for emergency management to reduce the impact of disasters, such as the ‘DANA’ (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos, Spanish for […]
How Chinese cities and the private sector are working to boost Low-Speed EVs and move away from fuel-driven vehicles
Author | Elvira Esparza The low-speed electric vehicle (LSEV) market is expanding rapidly worldwide due to the increasing restrictions on combustion vehicles. They have emerged as an alternative to conventional vehicles, enhancing mobility by being well-suited for short-distance travel and navigating congested city traffic. Fifty percent of the demand for low-speed electric vehicles comes from […]