Environment
What Abu Dhabi’s City of the Future Looks Like Now
At the UN’s World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi, attendees toured Masdar City, the master-planned eco-complex designed to show off the UAE’s commitment to sustainability.
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Where Light Pollution Is Seeping Into the Rural Night Sky
Artificial light that floods the night sky is thought to be only an urban phenomenon. But when you adjust for population, the picture is dramatically different.
A New Therapy for an Age of ‘Climate Grief’
An emerging cohort of therapists and artists are developing novel ways to help people process the anxiety and helplessness triggered by “climate grief.”
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Where America's Climate Migrants Will Go As Sea Level Rises
13 million U.S. coastal residents are expected to be displaced by 2100 due to sea level rise. Researchers are starting to predict where they’ll go.
Amsterdam Leads the Way on Wetland Restoration
The Dutch capital has long been a global model for flood management in a manmade landscape. Now it is seeking to break ground on how it preserves wetlands.
How Racism Became a Public Health Crisis in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh’s city council voted to declare racism a health crisis, following precedents set by Madison and Milwaukee. Here’s what it means—and what it doesn’t.
Housing Discrimination Made Summers Even Hotter
The practice of redlining in the 1930s helps explain why poorer U.S. neighborhoods experience more extreme heat.
Buttigieg’s Infrastructure Plan Calls for a National Vision Zero
The Democratic candidate’s $1 trillion pledge to upgrade roads, utilities, and public transportation has an emphasis on road safety and climate adaptation.
The Unequal Burden of Urban Lead
Decades after federal regulations banned the use of the deadly metal in paint, gasoline, and plumbing, the effects of lead continue to be felt across America’s cities.
Turning a Vast, Post-Industrial Wilderness Into a Park in Pittsburgh
The city acquired the 600-plus acres of Hays Woods, once used for mining and munitions, in 2016, but the work of restoring the land has only just begun.
Why Some Hawaiians Are Fighting a Massive Flood-Control Project
A flood could devastate the tourist zone of Waikīkī in Honolulu, but a federal plan to fortify the Ala Wai Canal has met with strong local resistance.
How Portland’s Earthquake Preppers Are Planning for the Worst
To survive the “Really Big One,” some neighbors in the Oregon city are organizing block parties that promote emergency preparedness.
New York City Will Require Bird-Friendly Glass on Buildings
Hundreds of thousands of migratory birds smash into the city’s buildings every year. The city council just passed a bill to cut back on the carnage.
America After Climate Change, Mapped
With “The 2100 Project: An Atlas for A Green New Deal,” the McHarg Center tries to visualize how the warming world will reshape the United States.
Grocery Stores Near Seattle Are Getting Vertical Farms
QFC, a Kroger chain, has added mini-farms to two of its supermarkets and will roll out 13 more in stores around Washington and Oregon.
Don’t Alienate the Suburbs on Climate
The suburbs can help cities fight climate change.
The City Known for ‘Sewer Socialists’ Actually Has Great Sewers
Milwaukee now averages a mere 2.4 combined sewer overflows a year, thanks to a massive underground tunnel, green infrastructure, and flood-control measures.
Will Buffalo Become a Climate Change Haven?
The Western New York city possesses a distinct mix of weather, geography, and infrastructure that could make it a potential climate haven. But for whom?
Paris to Amazon: No Free Delivery for You
Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants the e-commerce company to pay for the carbon emissions and traffic congestion that online shopping generates in the French capital.
Where Flooding Is Most Affecting Property Values
A small coastal Mississippi town is seeing dramatic property value losses from flooding. But the houses in highest demand are still right on the water.
Yellow Scorpions Are Invading Brazilian Cities
Hotter conditions and urbanization trends have made cities like São Paulo prime habitat for the deadly stinging creatures.