In 2004, LivCom named Munster as the most livable city on earth in its size category. This city of 300,000 people, 250 miles west of Berlin, was also named as the Climate...
Category - Columns
EcoCities vs. Smart Cities
The second Ecocity Focus Lab will be held March 13 to 16, 2018 in Chennai, India. The focus is on exploring the differences and similarities between “ecocities” and...
Ecocity Snapshots, Chapter 13- Oslo, Norway: The blue and the green and the city in between
On Oslo’s green subway line, passengers board a train in the city center and step off at Sognsvann Lake to hike, bike, fish, swim or simply contemplate nature. Backpackers use the...
Ecocity Snapshots, Chapter 12 – Torres Vedras, Portugal: Rediscovering wind power
Torres Vedras excels at renewable energy generation and ecotourism, featuring extensive trail systems and a walkable, compact city center. The municipality also conducts an...
Urban Metabolisms and Embodied Energy and Material Flows
Communities that are concerned with ecological sustainability can use “urban metabolism” studies as a way to understand how much energy and materials are flowing...
Ecotowns – safe from fires both local and… global climate change
You all know about the horrendous fires in Northern California in October. I think the arguments for ecocity fire safety solutions are water tight, so I’ll share an opinion piece...
Ecocity Snapshots, Chapter 11 – Freiburg, Germany: Doing well by doing good
Freiburg deserves its “Green City” brand. This 220,000-person city on the edge of the Black Forest in southeastern Germany has consistently been in the forefront of all things...
Green Buildings
The International Ecocity Standards identifies green buildings as an essential urban design feature (www.ecocitystandards.org). Specifically, new buildings and renovations are...
Cusco neighborhoods embracing Composting
Have you ever run across an advertisement saying dirt is good? Have you ever wondered what would need to happen for garbage to be considered beneficial? Well, garbage is just...
Environmentally Friendly Transport
The International Ecocity Standards identifies environmentally friendly transport as an essential urban design feature (www.ecocitystandards.org). Specifically, non-motorized...