Environment
City Frogs Are the Sexiest Frogs
Two new studies show how certain animals can adapt to the din of human activity in surprising ways.
How Cities Can Lead on Climate Change Solutions
The latest United Nations climate change report paints a dire picture, but IPCC co-chair Debra Roberts says urban residents have a critical role to play in addressing the crisis.
America’s Power Grid Isn’t Ready for Electric Cars
The challenge isn’t just about how much energy electric vehicles will need. A more important question is when they’ll need it.
Is ‘Climate-Positive’ Design Possible?
Advocates say we could design city buildings and neighborhoods that cancel out more carbon than they emit, with the right policies and mindset.
Fighting for Water and Life in Mexico City
The Mexican metropolis is a city of vast inequality, and access to water reflects that.
Why This Republican Mayor Spoke at Bernie Sanders’s Climate Town Hall
“The future is working in renewables, and it’s not working in coal,” Dale Ross, the mayor of Georgetown, Texas, tells CityLab.
How Florida Counties Dealt With the Red Tide’s Stinking Mess
The 2018 red tide deposited many tons of dead fish and other marine debris on Florida’s beaches. Local officials had to figure out how to clean it up.
Berlin’s Massive Housing Push Sparks a Debate About the City’s Future
The German capital has vowed to build 200,000 new homes, with half reserved for affordable rents. But where can they go?
A Disaster of Our Own Making
California was always going to burn—but it should have happened differently.
Appetite for Deconstruction
To battle blight, builders must imagine at the beginning of a structure’s life what will happen at the end of it.
How California Cities Can Tackle Wildfire Prevention
Wildfires like Camp and Tubbs are blazing with greater intensity and frequency, due to factors including climate change and urban sprawl. How can cities stay safe?
Communities of Color Are More Vulnerable to Wildfire
A study finds census tracts that are majority black, Hispanic, or Native American experience about 50 percent greater vulnerability to wildfire.
Cities Around Paris Strike a Rare Agreement to Ban Diesel Cars
France’s most comprehensive car ban marks an important moment of cooperation for oft-quarreling municipalities.
Photos: Wildfires Are Decimating California Cities
Northern California’s Camp Fire has destroyed thousands of homes and claimed many lives. Meanwhile, the Southern California Woolsey Fire has left much of Malibu under mandatory evacuation.
How One City Kickstarted the Ozone’s Recovery
In 1987, two dozen countries agreed to take steps to protect the atmosphere. For Irvine, California, that wasn't enough.
What an ‘Octopus Census’ Near Seattle Found
Once a year, the Seattle Aquarium enlists local divers to search for giant Pacific octopuses in the Puget Sound.
Extreme Weather Is Now an Election Issue
In Texas’s 7th district, congressional candidates have sparred over the response to Hurricane Harvey. Elsewhere, climate change, floods, wildfires, and red-tide algae are factors in the midterms.
‘Environmentalist’ Doesn’t Just Mean White and Wealthy
A new study refutes some common stereotypes of who cares most about the environment.
As Beirut’s Trash Crisis Drags on, Children Recycle to Survive
Official waste management in the Lebanese capital is inadequate. Informal scavengers help fill the gap, but many are refugee children.
How the Tuberculosis Epidemic Influenced Modernist Architecture
Light, air, and hygiene were not just aesthetic preoccupations of the early Modernists: They were the best treatment for tuberculosis at the time.
How Montreal’s Largest Park Tackled Its Raccoon Problem
“When tourists arrive with food that is often very high in calories and in fat, they’re going to very quickly lose their fear of humans.”