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EartherClimate ChangeHow Hot Your City Could Be By 2100 If Climate Change Goes Unchecked
It’s a sorry truth that hits you mid-July: Average summer temperatures have been rising since the 1970s. If we continue down this path, according to a new study by Climate Central, in 2100, summers in Boston will feel more like sticky Miami—and summers in Miami will feel like toasty Harlingen, Texas. Simply type where you … Continued
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Tech News
A Museum Inspired By Oozing Oil Will Cross Over L.A.’s Busiest Street
Last month, Swiss architect Peter Zumthor revised the design for a new building on L.A.’s Los Angeles County Museum of Art campus after scientists claimed his proposal would damage the adjacent La Brea Tar Pits. Now he’s revealed the first model of the new design: an ink blot that spans Wilshire Boulevard. It’s been quite … Continued
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Tech NewsWe Should All Be Using Vacant Trolley Tracks For Personal Pallet Trains
Trolleys and light rail trains are great for getting around a city and all, but let’s face it, they’re just sitting there empty a lot of the time, just begging you to trip over them. So why not turn that underused resource into a new form of mobility: A DIY pallet-train for one? This video … Continued
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Tech NewsMeet the Subway Superheroes Who Rescue the Crap You Drop On the Tracks
If you’re a regular subway rider in New York City, you’re familiar with the nagging fear of dropping your phone or wallet onto the tracks. Luckily, there are saviors at the ready who will show up, tongs in hand, to help those citizens in distress. In the video above, Animal New York recently followed MTA … Continued
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Tech News
How North Korean Architects Imagine the Future of Cities
Solar-powered factories, hovercraft apartments, glass towers topped with helipads: No, these are not concept drawings for EPCOT circa 1981. These are ideas for the future of North Korean cities, designed by North Korean architects in 2014. Currently on view at the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, these visions were curated by Nick Bonner, … Continued
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io9
Dubai To Build The World’s First Climate-Controlled City
The United Arab Emirates has announced its plan to build a “pedestrian city” — a gargantuan mall that will take up over 48 million square feet. Remarkably, the facility will feature a temperature-controlled domed retail street network that will extend for 4.3 miles (7 km). Called the “Mall of the World,” the Dubai-based facility will … Continued
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Tech News
Cities Are Finally Fighting Back Against Insane Olympic Costs
A petition with tens of thousands of signatures. Protestors in the streets. Fiery op-eds. All this public unrest in Tokyo isn’t over an election or divisive political issue. It’s about the design of the city’s 2020 Olympic Stadium. And the people are winning. After a year of public protests against the design for a new … Continued
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Tech News
Why Bikes Make Smart People Say Dumb Things
Scott Simon’s bio on the NPR website describes him as “one of America’s most admired writers and broadcasters,” and it’s tough to argue with that. As a Peabody-winning journalist with decades of experience, Simon’s credentials are unimpeachable, and as the Saturday host of Weekend Edition, he regularly shows himself to be all the things you … Continued
Carl Alviani -
io9Urban Innovations That Could Turn Your City Into A Bicycling Paradise
Bicycles may be part of the future of transit, and designers and city planners are constantly looking for ways to make cycling safer and more appealing to commuters. Here are a few innovations—beyond bike paths—that could make cities better for bikes. Top image: The Netherlands’ Hovenring. There are a number of basic things that cities … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
Tech NewsArtificial Intelligence
The World’s Best Subway System Is Powered By an Advanced AI Boss
Hong Kong’s metro puts others to shame: It’s one of the most profitable subways in the world. It’s on time 99.9 percent of the time. It’s always improving—and it’s controlled by some very clever artificial intelligence. An article in the latest issue of New Scientist introduces us to the algorithm that’s responsible for the incredible … Continued
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Tech News
All Parking Signs Should Be This Easy to Read
Parking signs can be some of the most confusing things on the planet. But New York City-based designer Nikki Sylianteng is on a quest to change that, with a new style of sign which finally makes sense. Admitting that she’s “been hit with one too many parking tickets despite her best efforts,” she decided to … Continued
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Tech News
Gas Prices, Hurricanes, Bike Porn: What’s Ruining Our Cities This Week
A hurricane is poised to ruin the Atlantic Seaboard’s barbecues this weekend. Gas prices might ruin the rest of the country’s road trips. And over in Madrid, some, ahem, questionable images are ruining the city’s brand-new bike share kiosks. It’s What’s Ruining Our Cities. Happy Independence Day. Hurricane Arthur is ruining North Carolina The first … Continued
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Tech NewsThe Best Fireworks in NYC Might Be This Beloved Illegal Display
Sure, there will be big, corporate-sponsored firework displays tonight in New York City, but the most entertaining show might be found in a neighborhood on the far northwestern tip of Manhattan. A documentary has been made to capture this dramatic display that pits block against block in the ultimate pyrotechnic spitting match. The Incredibly Spectacular … Continued
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Tech News
Watch How American Cities Grew Through Thousands of Historic Maps
Good thing it’s almost the holiday weekend and you don’t need to be productive because the USGS just launched a heck of a time-wasting website. Now you can explore cities through beautiful old maps, some dating all the way back to 1884. But here’s the best part: You can mix and match many maps to … Continued
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Tech News
A Massive New Levee Could Add Two New City Blocks To Manhattan
The footprint of Manhattan’s been expanding since the 17th century, when early New Yorkers began their first project to infill its shoreline. A huge part of the island we know today is built on artificial pilings. Now, it might get its biggest expansion in years. Next City reports on a new feasibility study released by … Continued
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Tech News
A Gas Station Frank Lloyd Wright Designed 87 Years Ago Is Now Finished
In 1927, acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed a gas station for Buffalo, New York, envisioning a gleaming center of commerce and social interaction for the bustling industrial city. Almost 90 years later, the structure has finally been completed—in the lobby of an automobile museum. The Pierce-Arrow Museum has been working to build the service … Continued
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Tech News
Why Countdown Clocks for Pedestrians Actually Cause More Car Crashes
As a frequent traveler by foot, I love countdowns at crosswalks. They tell me whether I should wait out 2 seconds or leisurely walk across in 15. And indeed, these countdowns do make pedestrians safer. But it turns out that countdowns actually cause more crashes between cars. Here’s why. The answer is, weirdly enough, too … Continued
By Sarah Zhang -
Tech News
Inside the Secret Building That’s Bringing Cell Service To NYC’s Subway
As Hurricane Sandy revealed almost two years ago, New York’s 100-year-old subway is not a modern and robust system. In fact, compared to other cities, it’s downright dirty, unpredictable and technologically behind. But the Metro Transit Authority is currently dragging it into the future—and I got the chance to go behind the scenes of the … Continued
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Tech News
Boston Is Getting Solar-Powered Smart Benches in Its Parks
The next park bench you sit on may be smarter than you think. Boston is rolling out new smart benches to parks around the city, which will use solar power to allow anyone to charge their phone on the go and record data about their surroundings at the same time. The benches, developed by MIT … Continued
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Tech News
Pinball, Swords, Bad Air: What’s Not Ruining Our Cities This Week
Long-suffering pinball fans can finally play free in Oakland. Swords are being returned to their rightful owners in New York City. And America is breathing better air than we have in a decade. Sometimes we like to look at the brighter side of urban life. It’s our peek at What’s Not Ruining Our Cities Anymore. … Continued