Reclaiming the public space for children in Barcelona
In Barcelona, a local non-profit association, Tata Inti, is working to recover the public space as a place for children to play. As well as providing a meeting point for children’s caregivers to meet and...Read more
What Johannesburg could look like for parents and children
We live in Orange Grove in Johannesburg, where the sound of charismatic Ethiopian churches on Louis Botha Avenue mixes with the incessant hooting of mini-bus taxis and the acoustic guitar emanating from Johannesburg’s oldest pub...Read more
Why US cities are becoming more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians
As cities strive to improve the quality of life for their residents, many are working to promote walking and biking. Such policies make sense, since they can, in the long run, lead to less traffic,...Read more
Cities invited to apply for “Streets for Kids” training and funds
Applications are open for cities to join the Streets for Kids programme, part of NACTO’s Global Designing Cities Initiative. Twelve global cities will be selected to receive either technical assistance or one-off workshops on street...Read more
Why Does Universal Street Design Matter?
Accessibility remains a challenge for Belo Horizonte’s bus rapid transit corridor. Improving public transit requires a hard look not just at vehicles and routes but at how people get on and off them. Too often, design...Read more
Take the tram into a more playable city
Playable cities connect people and place in creative ways. They appropriate urban environments and infrastructure and provide ways for citizens to participate in smart cities. While people may be aware of smart cities, these are...Read more
What big data tells us about our neighbourhoods
Just because we have all the necessary amenities in the places we live doesn’t mean we’re happy. What makes a place a community is far more than bricks and mortar and services. Imagine a place that...Read more
10 ideas to transform the future of public spaces
African public spaces are complex, especially so against the backdrop of fast urbanising cities and increasing socio-economic volatility. Public space in South Africa was, and in some instances still remains, a contentious issue due to apartheid spatial planning...Read more
Cities have metabolisms too
Cities like Rotterdam and İzmir are implementing the urban metabolic approach, focusing on sustainable infrastructure, connectivity and efficiency. These cities work to Streamline Resource Use at a Civic Level. From space, cities can look like microscopic...Read more
Building cities for a changing climate
Our cities are responsible for a large chunk of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, so the way we plan and construct them has to adapt to the future impacts of climate change. Worldwide, buildings are responsible...Read more
Design as democracy: Barcelona’s ‘Carritos’ encourage a more inclusive urbanism
Community participation has become a checklist item for any major urban development project. But what does community participation actually mean? What would it look like if we flipped the responsibility of engagement from citizens to...Read more
A good community where young children can thrive
The international research is clear. Stimulating and positive environments early in life provide optimal foundations for children’s ongoing development into adulthood. This in turn makes a difference to the productivity of society at large. Communities are...Read more
World Cities Day: Building sustainable and resilient cities
World Cities Day is celebrated annually on the 31st of October. It aims to increase awareness on sustainable urban development and urban transformations. As well as promote knowledge sharing on urban solutions implemented at the local level...Read more
A park in Bangkok is helping prevent the city from sinking
The city of Bangkok is sinking one to two centimetres a year. Coastal erosion, rising sea leaves and rapid urbanisation have created the perfect storm. Landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom has designed Chulalongkorn Centennial Park to help fortify...Read more