What it looks like for a small town to become an EcoDistrict
EcoDistricts are a hyper-local model of urban planning focused on equity and environmental justice. The certification process can take years, and it's not always obvious what's changed.
Community / Neighbourhoods
Neighbourhoods
Using public space to support democracy
Outdoor phone-banking and voting booths are helping to foster civic engagement as US cities adapt to a Covid-19 election season.
Houston’s bid for park equity
The city often ranks among the top ten most unequal metro areas in the US, but since 2012, it has been building one of the most extensive – and equitable – networks of parks and greenways in the country.
Madrid mourns the humble serviette
With a Covid-era ban now in place, this seemingly banal item has unexpectedly become one of Spain’s most notable and high-profile cultural victims of the pandemic to date.
A Singaporean firm has become the go-to master planner for African cities
Surbana Jurong has signed contracts to do city master plans in ten African countries. Why is the continent relying on outside firms to map its future?
Manchester follows Asia’s lead in designing age-friendly cities
Perhaps no UK city is better equipped to respond to its changing demographics than Manchester, where one third of the population will be 50 or older by 2040.
A Brazilian favela is combating Covid through community
Distrustful of the government's pandemic response, residents took matters into their own hands.
How land banks are supposed to work
Land banks let local governments acquire and revitalise abandoned and vacant property – that is, if they can resist the temptation to give elected officials too much power over the process.
Covid-19 is highlighting cities’ unequal access to green space
As coronavirus lockdowns ease, people are flooding back to parks – but not everyone has easy access to green space in their city.
