9 Best Articles in 2021
a16z
It's time to build
a16z
7 min read · 1421 saves · 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 · 494 saves · 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 · 380 saves · 2020-07-09 · Why do American cities waste so much space on cars?
OneZero
Death of a Smart City
OneZero
20+ min read · 249 saves · 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 · 230 saves · 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 · 222 saves · 2020-03-24 · “Buildings have to be the secret weapon in the future to combat infectious diseases.”
Visual Capitalist
How the Internet of Things is Building Smarter Cities
Visual Capitalist
~15 min read · 194 saves · 2020-02-25 · Spending on smart cities is ramping up, and it's being driven by the development and implementation of new IoT technologies.
The Guardian
The case for ... making low-tech 'dumb' cities instead of 'smart' ones
The Guardian
9 min read · 186 saves · 2020-01-15 · High-tech smart cities promise efficiency by monitoring everything from bins to bridges. But what if we ditched the data and embraced ancient technology instead?
World Economic Forum
7 innovative projects making cities more sustainable
World Economic Forum
3 min read · 169 saves · 2020-09-04 · By 2050, it is estimated that almost 70% of the world’s population will live in cities.
New this week
Take a deep dive
Recently popular
The Conversation
Cycling is ten times more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities
The Conversation
3 min read · 117 saves · 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.
The Guardian
Re-wilding our cities: beauty, biodiversity and the biophilic cities movement
The Guardian
5 min read · 113 saves · Apr 4th · Buildings covered in plants do more than just make the cityscape attractive – they contribute to human wellbeing, biodiversity, and action on climate change
The New York Times
Opinion | We Need Buses, Buses Everywhere
The New York Times
5 min read · 61 saves · Mar 18th · Better service would improve millions of Americans’ lives.
Fast Company
Sea level rise is unstoppable. Cities can adapt, but they need to think bigger
Fast Company
4 min read · 32 saves · Apr 6th · Sea level rise will erase entire cities and render homes, buildings, and roads unusable. A new book lays out key design strategies to help us adapt.
Financial Times
The path to the post-Covid city
Financial Times
25 saves · Mar 12th · A year of the pandemic has laid bare the flaws of our great metropolises. Here’s how to make them healthier, cheaper and happier
Jacobin
What a Communist City Can Teach Us About Urban Planning
Jacobin
~12 min read · 18 saves · Mar 6th · Renamed after Italian Communist leader Palmiro Togliatti, the Russian city of Tolyatti was chosen as home for a FIAT-backed auto plant in 1966, soon making it the USSR’s largest planned industrial…
McKinsey & Company
Mobility investments in the next normal
McKinsey & Company
17 saves · Mar 5th · A new survey looks at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer sentiment, which could influence future mobility investments.
Science Magazine
Smart cities built with smart materials
Science Magazine
4 min read · 15 saves · Mar 24th · The Smart City Index ([ 1 ][1]) defines a smart city as “an urban setting that applies technology to enhance the benefits and diminish the shortcomings of urbanization for its citizens.” The top…
World Economic Forum
Why the path to a greener future begins in our cities
World Economic Forum
5 min read · 15 saves · Mar 20th · To meet our net-zero goals, we must focus on our cities. Here's how digitalization and more sustainable electrification can kickstart the change we need.
Guardian Environment
Want to make the streets safer for women? Start with cycling
Guardian Environment
3 min read · 13 saves · Mar 26th · The UK’s cycling infrastructure is hostile to women – and smart new measures in Paris and Lisbon show that it’s time to overhaul the system
