Essay: The era of the megalopolis – how the world’s cities are merging
In an article first published on The Conversation, JAMES CHESHIRE and MICHAEL BATTY look at the rise of mega-cities…
Eat or stay cool? Cities test ways to protect the poor from rising heat
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation From spray parks in water-short Cape Town to heat-reflecting pavements in Tokyo, cities around the world that face worsening heatwaves as the planet warms are rapidly adopting innovations to try to beat increasingly deadly heat. But ensuring the measures help those most at risk remains a challenge, for reasons ranging from racial […]
MONEY TREES: US CITIES FIND NEW WAYS OF VALUING URBAN FORESTS
CAREY L BIRON, writing for Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on the trend for seeing trees as a city utility…
In a jam: how traffic slows urban economies
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation Spiralling traffic and poor urban planning could rob developing countries of opportunities and jam economic progress in fast-growing cities, a study published on Thursday found. As more people flock to cities, congested roads, expensive commutes and a lack of reliable transport options are disrupting urban economies and affecting quality of life, said a report […]
Millions of poor city children worse off than rural peers, says UNICEF
Thomson Reuters Foundation Millions of poor urban children are more likely to die before their fifth birthday than those living in rural areas, according to a UN study out on Tuesday that challenges popular assumptions behind the global urbanisation trend. The UNICEF research found not all children in cities benefited from the so-called urban advantage – the […]
ESSAY: REFUGEES FROM VENEZUELA ARE FLEEING TO LATIN AMERICAN CITIES, NOT REFUGEE CAMPS
In an article first published in The Conversation, ROBERT MUGGAH, of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, looks at the trend for refugees – in South America and elsewhere – to head for cities rather than camps…
A million slum-dwellers to benefit as Indian state gives away titles
Thomson Reuters Foundation One of India’s poorest states is handing out land rights to slum-dwellers in an innovative scheme to redevelop urban settlements that officials say will benefit a million people. Eastern Odisha state began distributing titles to about 2,000 families last week, launching a project officials say is the largest of its kind in […]
POVERTY: WI FI BUT NO WATER – CAN SMART TECH HELP A CITY’S POOR?
SOPHIE DAVIES, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how moves to introduce high tech solutions in cities around the world aren’t always delivering the kind of help the poor need…