Health & Nutrition

the author reflects on Downtown developments

 

We need to work our hardest at becoming a 24 hour city. I want to be able to walk out my door, come down into that beautiful skyline and be able to pick something to do without having to dig into the Facebook invites.[read more]

bicycle as ambulance

In the African nation of Uganda, where many areas are difficult to access and have limited resources, bicycles are saving lives, taking patients to the hospital and transporting health professionals and medicine to remote communities.[read more]

transport? catalyst? both?

Fast, efficient and individualistic, the bicycle is no ordinary mode of transport. It’s a church, a gym, a community creator. It is touchable, attainable freedom. It is also a tool for nature conservation.[read more]

coastal recovery

Now approaching the three-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we can truly learn a lesson of sustainability. This disaster has exemplified how with each disaster lessons can be learned for the future.[read more]

the future of water

According to the heads of the major built-environment design organizations, it’s water. Water is going to become increasingly scarce. Worldwide, countries are struggling with diminishing ground water resources.[read more]

urban farming

With the continuing onset of urbanization, urban poverty continues to grow and so does the importance of food security. The subsequent response to this has been the emergence of community gardening and locally produced foods.[read more]

healthy cities

The rural poor streaming into our cities today have a greater risk for the so-called diseases of poverty, including infections and malnutrition directly attributable to poor urban design in the form of housing and sanitation.[read more]

urban biodiversity

I would like to invite you to join me in the following thought experiment. Let’s walk through a day in our life, consciously ensuring that we maintain a biodiversity view of biodiversity at all, if not, most times of the day.[read more]

public spaces in Beijing

The role of public space can vary greatly from city to city. In Beijing, public space focuses on health and community, a reflection of Chinese beliefs in balance, prevention and longevity dating back thousands of years.[read more]

public transit fuels

In the long run, the dependence on a single fuel for a public transport system is not desirable. We win by recognizing the various benefits of different fuels in addressing local and global issues.[read more]

urban farming and community

What started as an effort to bring public art and more green space to the community is now a thriving vegetable farm run by volunteers who donate all of their harvest, about 10-15 lbs per week, to local families in need.[read more]

aquaponics

 

Such systems, if properly managed, can produce very high yields relative to conventional farming – especially precious when land is limited. They must have a role in local production within cities, too.[read more]