By Eliot Allen* Solar energy panels stand in the middle of the lush Green of the largest urban rain forest in the world: The Tijuca National Park, in Rio de Janeiro. Those solar panels stand on top of houses whose residents also manage to produce biogas from organic waste and also work on a prototype for a small hydraulic generator. All of this happens in a name with a … [Read more...] about Green favelas: a sustainable approach in three steps
Can technology help us cook a better meal?
Español | English Cícera is a Brazilian single mother who works as babysitter for Ms. Silva. Every day, Cícera leaves her home at 6:00 am and spends two hours in traffic before she arrives at Ms. Silva’s house. There, she takes care of baby Carlinhos, until 6:00 pm when she goes back home to take care of her own children. During one of my business trips to Brazil last year, … [Read more...] about Can technology help us cook a better meal?
From “Magic Town” to Smart City: The Case of Tequila, Mexico
Español | English When we think of smart cities, what image comes to mind? New York? Tokyo? Barcelona? Perhaps that of a global city with massive transportation infrastructure, intelligent waste management systems, and real-time traffic monitoring to ensure safety and comfort for its citizens, businesses and visitors. However, the time has come for Tequila—a town located in … [Read more...] about From “Magic Town” to Smart City: The Case of Tequila, Mexico
Morar Carioca: Upgrading Informal Settlements in Rio de Janeiro
English | Español Favela "Complexo de Alemao" in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Cesar Simborth Rio de Janeiro has over a thousand favelas or informal settlements, which host over a third of the city’s 6.3 million inhabitants (IBGE 2013). Over the past decades, many attempts have been conducted in order to improve quality of life in the city’s favelas. Morar Carioca is the latest … [Read more...] about Morar Carioca: Upgrading Informal Settlements in Rio de Janeiro
How can we manage flood risk?
English | Español Houses at risk on the Río Turrialba, Costa Rica. Photo: Shanna Edberg Imagine if your city was flooded in a storm, and 80% of the land in your entire province was left under water. This nightmare occurred in reality in the Mexican state of Tabasco in 2007, when three days of nonstop rains caused a flood that lasted for 100 days in the city of Villahermosa. … [Read more...] about How can we manage flood risk?