9 Best Articles in 2021
a16z
It's time to build
a16z
7 min read · 2020-04-18 · Every Western institution was unprepared for the coronavirus pandemic, despite many prior warnings. This monumental failure of institutional effectiveness will reverberate for the rest of the decade,…
MIT Technology Review
You’ll want to keep an eye on these 10 breakthrough technologies this year
MIT Technology Review
~17 min read · From 2018 · Science and technology change rapidly. The MIT Technology Review has identified “10 breakthrough technologies” in the fields of biology, computer science and engineering, among others. This exciting summary of recent technological advances stimulates the mind and demonstrates how far technology has come and how far it plans to go. These advances include artificial life and computers with an imagination. getAbstract recommends this article to the many inspired and curious technology fans out there.
The New York Times
I’ve Seen a Future Without Cars, and It’s Amazing
The New York Times
~16 min read · 2020-07-09 · Why do American cities waste so much space on cars?
BBC Future
How cities will fossilise
BBC Future
~12 min read · May 6th · The grand metropolises of 21st Century civilisation will leave a geological legacy that will last for millennia, but some things will endure far longer than others.
OneZero
Death of a Smart City
OneZero
20+ min read · 2020-08-12 · Alphabet bet big in Toronto. Toronto didn’t play along.
secretldn.com
London’s New Artificial Trees Guzzle As Much Pollution As 275 Regular Trees
secretldn.com
1 min read · 2020-01-11 · Leytonstone has some excellent new arrivals, a pair of City Trees that eat pollution, produce oxygen, and clean up the capital's filthy air.
Fast Company
How we can redesign cities to fight future pandemics
Fast Company
6 min read · 2020-03-24 · “Buildings have to be the secret weapon in the future to combat infectious diseases.”
WIRED
A Global Smart-City Competition Highlights China’s Rise in AI
WIRED
2 min read · Jul 3rd · Chinese entrants swept all five categories, featuring technologies to improve civic life. But the advances could also be tools for surveillance.
The Conversation
Cycling is ten times more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities
The Conversation
4 min read · Mar 29th · Active travel can help tackle the climate crisis earlier than electric vehicles – even if you swap the car for a bike for just one trip a day.
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WIRED
A Global Smart-City Competition Highlights China’s Rise in AI
WIRED
2 min read · Jul 3rd · Chinese entrants swept all five categories, featuring technologies to improve civic life. But the advances could also be tools for surveillance.
The New York Times
Covid Didn’t Kill Cities. Why Was That Prophecy So Alluring?
The New York Times
6 min read · Jul 12th · A distrust of urban life has persisted in America, finding expression in different ways over time.
The New York Times
Opinion | The Simplest Tool for Improving Cities Is Also Free
The New York Times
6 min read · Jul 16th · The pandemic taught us that time might be our most valuable resource for building the environments we want.
Fast Company
The climate is changing fast. Infrastructure should, too
Fast Company
3 min read · Jul 7th · Public officials want to repair and rebuild. What they need to do is rethink.
Cities Today
Three strategies to scale city climate action
Cities Today
4 min read · Jul 5th · Research from Bloomberg Associates pinpoints three critical strategies cities can use to accelerate GHG reductions.
Forbes India
Sustainable Cities: Learning From Ljubljana's Car-free Zones
Forbes India
1 min read · Jul 8th · Since 2007, the Slovenian capital has been redesigning its city center so that certain areas are reserved exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists, with already visible results
Streetsblog USA
Study: Driving to Save Time Just Slows Everyone Down
Streetsblog USA
4 min read · Jul 6th · Researchers have found that making driving more convenient ends up ensuring that a community will be choked by gridlock, and everyone will have a slower trip.
Bloomberg Cities
5 ways that Certified cities are leading with data
Bloomberg Cities
5 min read · Jul 14th · The 16 cities to achieve What Works Cities Certification this year show what's possible when local governments put data and evidence at the core of decision-making.
Smart Cities Dive
What Works Cities awards 4 cities top honors for data usage
Smart Cities Dive
2 min read · Jul 14th · The Bloomberg Philanthropies nonprofit arm recognized 16 cities total for improving city services and promoting civic engagement with data, key factors for a strong COVID-19 response.
Next City
LEARN-ing to Sustain a City’s Culture and Character
Next City
8 min read · Jul 5th · A framework for understanding how a city can honor its traditional identity, or essence, as it transitions to something new.
