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?
Better waste management in cities: Interview with Antonis Mavropoulos
Español | English Antonis Mavropoulos has been involved in the solid waste management sector for more than 20 years. He is the founder and CEO of D-Waste, a global startup that aims to make waste management know-how and science, easily available and accessible to everyone. Mavropoulos serves as Chair of the International Solid Waste Management Association‘s (ISWA) Scientific … [Read more...] about Better waste management in cities: Interview with Antonis Mavropoulos
COP20: A catalyst for local climate action?
Español | English Every year, country delegates from all over the world meet at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference to negotiate a deal to protect our planet from global warming. The 2014 summit—or 20th Conference of the Parties (COP20), currently taking place in Lima—is a key forum for developing a framework that will … [Read more...] about COP20: A catalyst for local climate action?