Oct 05, 2020
While working on a recent urban planning project, which involved an in-depth collaboration with our international and local consultants, we composed a plan visionary to all parameters that provide a healthy, inclusive and resilient future. Increasingly, as architects and within UNStudio, we are invited to address complex issues, such as urban densification, climate change and…
Oct 02, 2020
Cities are one of the greatest creations of humankind. They are amazing engines of creativity, productivity, and powerful economies; places where millions of people accomplish amazing things day in and day out around the globe. Since time immemorial, cities have been defined by incredible networks of built space and circulation—all designed to foster connections among…
Oct 02, 2020
When people think about health and wellbeing, local neighbourhoods are not the first thing that come to mind for many people. However, where people are born, where they live, learn, work, play and age are critical to long term health outcomes. In public health, these factors are referred to as the social determinants of health…
Oct 02, 2020
From homes to hospitals, from offices to theaters, from schools to factories, COVID-19 has raised public awareness of the merits of healthy buildings – and the detriment of unhealthy buildings – as never before. This awareness is not reversing, even if society gets a handle on how to live with COVID. People will want to…
Sep 15, 2020
Health and well-being are currently a major concern of populations; it is estimated that 48,000 deaths per year in France are due to air pollution, according to the study by Santé Publique France published in 2016. In a rapidly changing world, the societal aspiration to live in a healthy environment is a major challenge. Today,…
Aug 24, 2020
Population growth, mass migration, climate change, a global pandemic, and a civil rights movement have pushed cities around the world to rethink how they can provide a more accessible, affordable, safe housing that fosters health, happiness, and community. NewCities’ first virtual event, New Housing Solutions LIVE, aimed to respond to the need for new tools,…
Aug 13, 2020
The Millennial generation may be the most consequential for North American cities since the Baby Boomers 75 years ago. They are certainly the most misunderstood. For more than a decade, their lifestyle preferences have been perceived as contrarian compared to their parents, whether that meant living at home, forgoing a driver’s license, or choosing to…
Aug 13, 2020
Albus Brooks is a former two-term Denver City Council member for District 9 and former City Council President. Today, he is Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for Milender White, a Development and Construction company operating in Colorado and Southern California. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. NewCities: On top of…
Jun 05, 2020
A generation ago many British city centres were dreary places. Now, they are among the most desirable areas to live. What has changed? Take a walk through the centres of Manchester, Liverpool or Birmingham and you will see smart new apartments, office blocks, and ever-present cranes building still more. Until lockdown, at street-level you would…
Jun 05, 2020
There’s been a profound generational shift in attitudes towards urban living. Today’s young adults are much more likely than those of previous decades to choose to live in denser, close-in urban neighborhoods. We traced this trend in our 2014 City Observatory report, the Young and Restless, which found a growing relative preference of well-educated young…
Jun 05, 2020
Not since the rise of the Driverless Car bubble have I seen so many transport experts staring into their crystal balls, peering through the mists at what the future might hold. As COVID19 changes the way we live, work and learn at a speed and scale unprecedented in living memory, it is no surprise that…
Jun 05, 2020
Alfred Degrafinreid II is the associate vice chancellor for community relations for Vanderbilt University. A native Tennessean, Degrafinreid most recently served as the chief administrative officer for the Office of the Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk. Prior to serving the Metro Nashville government, he was counsel to U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) and coordinated community…
