For another year, we will commemorate Earth Day on April 22. The national and international media will be busy publishing thousands of articles to remind us that this planet is our home. The main message will be: "If we don't take action soon, life as we know it will disappear." For many, this is an exaggeration. For others, it becomes a feeling of profound sadness since we … [Read more...] about Earth Day 2022: a sea of plastics, an ocean of tears
Alejandro López Lamia
Alejandro López-Lamia has been IDB staff for more than 20 years. He is currently a Lead Specialist in the Urban Development and Housing Division (HUD), Department of Climate Change and Sustainable Development (CSD). He has performed different functions in the Bank's operational and strategic areas in the United States, Honduras, Ecuador and Bolivia. He currently serves as HUD Portfolio Coordinator at the IDB headquarters in Washington DC. Before the Bank, he worked as a teacher and researcher in Argentina. Most of his academic studies were done in Japan, with a scholarship from the Ministry of Education (Monbusho). He holds a Master's degree and Ph.D. in International Relations and Development Public Policies of Sophia University, in Tokyo.
Matera: The world’s oldest eco-sustainable and smart city
Is it possible for one of the oldest cities to be considered the first eco-sustainable and smart city on the planet? At first, it seemed like a presumptuous idea. However, after watching the video by Andrea Moccia, science communicator and founder of one of my favorite websites, my questions fade away. I found it so interesting that I decided to adapt it for our blog to explore … [Read more...] about Matera: The world’s oldest eco-sustainable and smart city
Health, the new epicenter of urban development
The pandemic continues to spread, exacerbating the problems affecting millions of people in the world's cities, especially those living in a situation of greater informality and inequality. When COVID-19 broke out, I wondered what the tendencies of pandemics have been in the history of cities. To my surprise, I was able to identify four trends that, in my opinion, are still … [Read more...] about Health, the new epicenter of urban development
Cities of the Future: Between Dreams and Nightmares about Ideal Urban Planning
Shortly before the explosion of a global crisis generated by the COVID-19, in the well-known "2020 Consumers Electronics Show" (CES), Akio Toyoda, C.E.O. of the automotive giant Toyota, unveiled his plans to build the "City of the Future" near the mystical Mount Fuji, in an area of approximately 70 hectares, in a factory due for closure. The initiative is called "Woven City" in … [Read more...] about Cities of the Future: Between Dreams and Nightmares about Ideal Urban Planning
The sneaky enemies: the novel coronavirus and old pandemics
It may seem nonsensical to reflect calmly when COVID-19 is winning a race that will redefine our future. We are surprised by its arrival, despite the continuous warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO) about influenza and its possible mutations. In the past, pandemics have confronted us with sneaky enemies who, at the cost of substantial human losses and severe … [Read more...] about The sneaky enemies: the novel coronavirus and old pandemics