It is lighter than steel, but five times stronger than concrete. Bamboo could be considered a gift from nature for construction because of its low cost, sustainability, abundance and strenght. Its use in the construction sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has gained increasing popularity in recent years due to its numerous environmental, economic and social … [Read more...] about Bamboo: the plant-based steel for the 21st century constructions
Healthy Cities: your zip code influences your health more than your genetic code
A person's zip code affects their life expectancy more than their own genetic code. We often relate chronic diseases to habits such as diet, lack of physical exercise, smoking or heredity. However, the factor that most influences health is the environment in which we live and circumstances such as poverty, lack of decent housing, overcrowding, environmental safety or exclusion … [Read more...] about Healthy Cities: your zip code influences your health more than your genetic code
Ten blog posts to celebrate ten years of Ciudades Sostenibles
Ciudades Sostenibles just celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. Since May 2012, more than 800 blog posts have informed our loyal readers every week about the challenges, opportunities, trends and urban projects with the greatest impact on urban development in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). From the IDB's Housing and Urban Development Division, we would like to … [Read more...] about Ten blog posts to celebrate ten years of Ciudades Sostenibles
How does Uruguay promote wood as a housing construction material?
Did you know that the wood industry is one of the most prosperous sectors worldwide? In fact, the forestry sector directly employs more than 18.21 million people globally and contributes more than 540 billion dollars to world GDP. This sector, when properly regulated to prevent illegal deforestation, is vital for the environment, since the nurture and management of healthy … [Read more...] about How does Uruguay promote wood as a housing construction material?
Wood as a housing construction material: what are its benefits?
Wood has been one of the most used building materials since the beginning of history. Although the use of steel, concrete or iron has brought significant advances to construction, wood has never lost its popularity. In fact, the number of wooden buildings around the world may surprise many readers. Did you know that countries such as Japan, Scotland or the United States are … [Read more...] about Wood as a housing construction material: what are its benefits?