Kazan Smart City

The truth about smart cities: ‘In the end, they will destroy democracy'

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/dec/17/truth-smart-city-destroy-democracy-urban-thinkers-buzzphrase

The truth about smart cities: ‘In the end, they will destroy democracy' The smart city is, to many urban thinkers, just a buzzphrase that has outlived its usefulness: ‘the wrong idea pitched in the wrong way to the wrong people’. So why did that happen – and what’s coming in its place, asks Steven Poole

More cities will take up Rio’s approach to measuring and reducing emissions

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/more-cities-will-take-rio%E2%80%99s-approach-measuring-and-reducing-emissions

More cities will take up Rio’s approach to measuring and reducing emissions | Urban Gateway Tue, 12/09/2014 - 12:13 -- Alan Mwendwa Rio de Janeiro is one of the world’s leading cities injecting sustainability into its planning. In 2011, Mayor Eduardo Paes enacted an ambitious climate change law, setting a goal to avoid 20% of its emissions by 2020, based on 2005 levels. There was only one…

Here's how the Swedish capital changed the debate on urban transportation

http://www.citymetric.com/transport/heres-how-swedish-capital-changed-debate-urban-transportation-566

Here's how the Swedish capital changed the debate on urban transportation There are already more people living in urban areas than in rural ones; the UN Population Division predicts that almost 70 per cent of the world’s population will crowd into cities by 2050. How can these urban centres remain liveable and attractive without razing buildings and parks to make way for…

Norway contains the world's only bike escalator, and it is excellent

http://www.citymetric.com/transport/norway-contains-worlds-only-bike-escalator-and-it-excellent-555

Norway contains the world's only bike escalator, and it is excellent Cycling’s great – it’s cheap, healthy, and environmentally friendly. But unless you’re a ma*****st, cycling gets rapidly less great when you’re faced with a giant hill. That’s why it’s a little surprising that cycling escalators aren’t more common. The first was installed in Trondheim, Norway in 199…

Protected bike lanes also help protect pedestrians... in so many ways

In just about each way you can measure the topic, protected bike lanes have been linked to far more and safer bicycling. There’s a logical reason for that: they’re protected from vehicles.However, protected bike lanes are not only protected from automobile...

http://www.asiaeu.com/business/protected-bike-lanes-also-help-protect-pedestrians-in-so-many-ways-h43654.html

What Makes a City ‘Smart,’ Anyway?

http://thisbigcity.net/what-makes-a-city-smart-anyway/

What Makes a City 'Smart,' Anyway? In recent years, urban planners, cross-sector leaders, and city enthusiasts have trumpeted the rise of "smart cities." As that conversation gets louder, we can't help but ask: What exactly makes a ...

Israel made a recycling video and it’s going viral.

A new video highlighting the importance of recycling is going viral on YouTube, garnering nearly 900,000 views in its first week online.

http://www.urbangateway.org/news/israel-made-recycling-video-and-it%E2%80%99s-going-viral

Urban Word Wars and the Nouveau-Eco-City Brand.

Within the past year or so, it seemed as though every corner of the Internet suddenly burst forth with a hyper gush of articles about the implications of the global shift from a majority rural to urban-dwelling population. Approximately 54% of us—this number is steadily rising—now call a city home, while in 1960 that number was only 34%. How will we accommodate these urban population swells?

http://thisbigcity.net/urban-word-wars-and-the-nouveau-eco-city-brand/

Urban Word Wars and the Nouveau-Eco-City Brand A new city prototype has quietly arisen to capitalize on the push for sustainable urban development: new, privately funded, planned cities which bleat tried and true urban buzzwords like “eco-city”...

India: smart cities need smart governance.

http://www.citymetric.com/horizons/india-smart-cities-need-smart-governance-522

India: smart cities need smart governance Narendra Modi, India’s new prime minister, is a leader with an urban vision. Before becoming prime minister, he was chief minister of Gujarat, where he transformed the state capital Ahmedabad with an award-winning sustainable bus transit system and a “world-class” riverfront recreation space.

Community Microgrids: Envisioning the Grid of the Future.

The traditional energy grid has provided power to billions of people, globally, for decades.

http://cityminded.org/community-microgrids-envisioning-grid-future-11998

Community Microgrids: Envisioning the Grid of the Future Community microgrids (CMGs) are getting more press these days as people recognize that they may provide an alternative to the traditional energy grid. The

Urbanization and the evolution of cities across 10,000 years - Vance Kite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKnAJCSGSdk&feature=youtu.be

Urbanization and the evolution of cities across 10,000 years - Vance Kite View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/urbanization-and-the-future-of-cities-vance-kite About 10,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers, aided by rudimentary a...

Eight facts about Europe’s forest ecosystems.


http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/eight-facts-about-europe2019s-forest-ecosystems

Eight facts about Europe’s forest ecosystems — European Environment Agency (EEA) Europe is one of the few regions of the world where forest cover has increased over the last century. To mark International Day of Forests (21 March), the European Environment Agency (EEA) takes a look at Europe’s valuable forest ecosystems.