Environment
Paris Wants to Grow ‘Urban Forests’ at Famous Landmarks
The city plans to fill some small but treasured sites with trees—a climate strategy that may also change the way Paris frames its architectural heritage.
Google Maps Wants to Help You Navigate During Natural Disasters
The app will offer crisis navigation warnings and provide detailed visual information about hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes.
How Chicago Got a Lot Faster at Beach Water Warnings
Chicago is the only major U.S. city to use a new method to test for bacteria at most of its beaches—and then issue same-day swimming advisories.
No, Instagram Is Not Ruining Chernobyl
A (mostly mythical) surge in visitors to the nuclear disaster site raises a question: Can mass tourism spoil a place that’s already famous for being uninhabitable?
The Rise, Fall, and Possible Rebirth of 100 Resilient Cities
Internal communications shed new light on the Rockefeller Foundation’s decision to stop funding the global climate nonprofit, and hint at what might come next.
Atlanta’s Food Forest Will Provide Fresh Fruit, Nuts, and Herbs to Forage
The seven-acre site in southeast Atlanta will grow fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, and nuts to improve food security for local communities.
How Ian McHarg Taught Generations to ‘Design With Nature’
Fifty years ago, a Scottish landscape architect revolutionized how designers and planners think about ecology. His legacy matters now more than ever.
If Climate Goals Aren’t Met, Extreme Heat Will Kill Thousands in U.S. Cities
A new report estimates as many as 2,700 heat-related deaths can be prevented in just one city if global temperature rise can be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Too Many People Want to Travel
Massive crowds are causing environmental degradation, dangerous conditions, and the immiseration and pricing-out of locals.
Will ‘Gray’ or ‘Green’ Flood Infrastructure Protect Houston?
As greater Houston seeks protection from the next Hurricane Harvey, using natural features like prairies and sand dunes to control water is gaining purchase.
Drinking Water Is Staying in Pipes Longer, and That’s a Problem
Shrinking cities can have their drinking water sit in pipes longer than desired, leading to high levels of metals, bacterial growth, and other problems.
The Toxic Effects of Electronic Waste in Accra, Ghana
Sorting through used electronics is a livelihood for many in the Agbogbloshie area, but toxic e-waste poses serious health risks.
Traffic Is Unbearable on Paris's Beltway. The Fix? Remove Lanes.
The city wants to turn the Boulevard Périphérique, one of Europe’s most congested highways, into a slower, smaller, and greener “urban boulevard.”
Detroit’s Belle Isle Park Is About to Become a Racetrack Again
Every summer, the Detroit Grand Prix takes over a large part of city-owned Belle Isle. Opponents say an auto race has no business being there.
In a Town Shaped by Water, the River Is Winning
Storms supercharged by climate change pose a dire threat to river towns. After two catastrophic floods, tiny Ellicott City faces a critical decision: Rebuild, or retreat?
Carefully, Japan Reconsiders the Trash Can
The near-absence of public garbage bins in cities like Tokyo is both a security measure and a reflection of a cultural aversion to littering.
The Unintended Consequences of Green ‘Nudges’
When participants in a study had the option of approving a behavioral “nudge” to clean energy use, their support for a carbon tax dropped.
Paris Will Create the City’s Largest Gardens Around the Eiffel Tower
The most famous space in the city is set to get a pedestrian-friendly redesign that will create the city’s largest garden by 2024.
How the Ancient Maya Adapted to Climate Change
Instead of focusing on the civilization’s final stages, looking at Mayan adaptations shows how their communities survived for as long as they did.
Flying Cars Are Realer, Cheaper, Greener Than You Think
They might even be greener than electric cars.
America’s First Greenbelt May Be in Jeopardy
Adopted in the 1950s to protect the city’s iconic horse farms, the urban growth boundary of Lexington, Kentucky, no longer seems unassailable.