With more than 80% of its population living in cities, Latin America is one of the most urbanized regions in the world. Never before have so many people lived in urban centers and never before has it been so necessary to improve the way we understand, plan and manage cities as collective human projects. The increased scale and number of cities bring a whole array of new … [Read more...] about IDB Cities Lab: multiplying urban innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean
Metropolitan coordination and governance for a sustainable urban development
Pick us! We’ll do anything you want. That’s one way of paraphrasing Maryland’s Transportation Secretary, Pete Rahn’s recent blank check offer to lure the retail giant, Amazon. Maryland’s Montgomery County, Northern Virginia, and Washington D.C., are thrilled to have made it through to Amazon’s reality-show-esque short listing of 20 possible locations for its second headquarters … [Read more...] about Metropolitan coordination and governance for a sustainable urban development
Sharing Nordic Solutions to Global Challenges
There is no silver-bullet towards sustainability, and every city is unique as well as are its stakeholders. But there are many fundamental concepts that can be followed in the process and a lot of inspiration to share and learn from when it comes to practical solutions that have worked well. As the challenges world-wide are mainly caused by the same underlying issues, such as … [Read more...] about Sharing Nordic Solutions to Global Challenges
How the Caribbean Can Prepare for More Violent Hurricanes
Updated building codes can help the Caribbean face disaster. But the region also needs a better way to think about preparedness. The aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria renewed calls to fortify Caribbean cities. Recently, the Inter-American Development Bank pledged U$1 billion in loans to support a more resilient Caribbean. The hurricanes that recently battered … [Read more...] about How the Caribbean Can Prepare for More Violent Hurricanes
Actions for sustainable urban development in Belize City through the year 2050
Last time I blogged about how a city can transform stranded assets, like cemeteries and abandoned properties, into magnets for urban regeneration. The new flavor of the week is “canals”. Belize City is located at the mouth of the Belize River and Haulover Creek, a location that early settlers perhaps chose due to its importance for the then-booming timber trade because it … [Read more...] about Actions for sustainable urban development in Belize City through the year 2050