The paradox of the Three Gorges Dam: Green electricity with plenty of urban shadows
Author | Raquel C. Pico Recognized as one of the monumental engineering achievements of modern times, the Three Gorges Dam, in China, harnesses the immense power of the Yangtze River and its colossal scale is such, that it can be seen from space. The construction of the Three Gorges Dam was driven by practical utility […]
A journey through the history of London’s underground system, one of the world’s most influential works
Author | Elvira Esparza The London Underground is the oldest subway system in the world. In fact, when it first opened in 1863, it operated using steam trains and the tunnels were lit by gas lamps. Often referred to by locals simply as the Underground or the Tube, today it is an extensive network of […]
Ransomware is a growing threat in cities: How are they defending themselves?
Author | Raquel C. Pico In the list of cybersecurity threats, ransomware has emerged as one of the most rapidly expanding in recent years. New statistics indicate an annual increase of 42% in ransomware cases, elevating it to one of the foremost concerns for urban IT managers. In order to gain a complete understanding of […]
E-hailing is undergoing a transformation: What does the future hold for on-demand driving?
Author | Elvira Esparza The combination of smartphone connectivity and urban mobility challenges has facilitated the growth of e-hailing services in major cities worldwide. Companies like Uber have emerged as an alternative to private car ownership, contributing to enhanced urban mobility by incorporating not only vehicles but also scooters and bicycles into their services. Uber, […]
What are exurbs and how are they changing modern urbanism
Author | Raquel C. Pico The urban-rural dichotomy is one of the key points used when referring to how people live in the modern world. Cities and their metropolitan areas are great magnets and have gradually attracted —and they have been doing so for centuries— people living in the countryside. In this initial stage of […]
What makes the Seoul subway system one of the best in the world
Author | Lucía Burbano With nine million inhabitants and around 2.5 billion passengers per year, Seoul’s subway system is at the top of the international rankings for factors such as accessibility, connectivity, cost or infrastructure. Its extensive network, efficiency, punctuality and ease of use are some of the reasons that justify the level of satisfaction […]
How Paris is reusing its abandoned buildings
Autor | Lucía Burbano Reusing and transforming existing architecture is a principle adopted by Paris to combat global warming and to make use of existing infrastructures and resources. The aim is to advance towards carbon neutrality by 2050 by respecting its architectural heritage. Paris breathes new life into its abandoned buildings Today, 70% of urban […]
Five examples of how robots are already changing security in cities
Author | Elvira Esparza The use of robots to boost security in cities has gone from science fiction to the real world. Police departments in some cities have robots to boost their surveillance tasks and to serve as a backup for other functions. There are robots that can conduct controls, detect threats and robots used […]
San Francisco was built on a landfill, and now it is paying the price
Author | Elvira Esparza San Francisco is famous for its steep streets, its bay and the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Its geographic location has been a determining factor in its design, because, apart from the danger of earthquakes, given its proximity to the San Andreas fault, large parts of the city are built on unstable […]
How many electric vehicle charging standards exist and how is it affecting the adoption of zero-emission mobility?
Author | Raquel C. Pico Electric vehicles are one of the fundamental components of the journey towards the energy transition. The pressure as a result of the climate emergency is forcing us to reduce —or, ultimately, abandon— fossil fuels. This has led to a rise in alternative transport formulas based on clean energy sources or […]