Cities are key to our planet’s future. Over half of us now live in cities and an estimated 70 percent of the world’s total population will be urban by 2050 — over six...
Category - Columns
Lifestyle Carbon Footprints
Do you ever wonder what it would take for everyone to live in such a way that we could stop global warming? The Paris Agreement (UNFCC 2018) set an aspirational climate...
Ecocity Snapshots, Chapter 20 – Heidelberg, Germany: Higher degrees of sustainability
Heidelberg is famous for its prestigious university, historic monuments and cultural achievements. But this city of 150,000 people in south-western Germany also won the European...
Ecocity Snapshots, Chapter 19 – Salzburg, Austria: Walkability never gets old
Salzburg has earned worldwide recognition largely by keeping its Baroque historic center remarkably intact since the time of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, its most famous son. But the...
A Student Speaks About Her Experience Presenting at an Ecocity World Summit
Caitlin Purvis, a BCIT student, presented at a previous Ecocity World Summit. I asked Caitlin to share her experience as a presenter and any words of advice she would like to...
Car Free Journey: Chicago
Are you looking for a place to visit for three days or more without your car? Then, consider a large city. Most major cities have very good and affordable public transportation...
Ecocity Snapshots, Chapter 18: Munich, Germany: Compact – Urban – Green
In 1998, Munich adopted Perspective Munich, a new general plan with a promising ecocity mantra: compact – urban – green. To reach that goal, the City has been fighting...
Comparing the International Ecocity Standards to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
The World Bank (2018) has created a very useful Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals that tracks global and individual country progress towards achieving the United Nations (UN)...
Ecocity Snapshots, Chapter 17: Barcelona, Spain – Olympics as catalyst
Since the dawn of tourism, Barcelona has lured travelers with its vibrant culture and historic urban character. In the past few decades, this coastal city of 1.6 million has also...
Ecocity Snapshots, Chapter 16: Helsinki, Finland – Planned for implementation
Helsinki is transforming its docklands and industrial centers into compact multi-use neighborhoods, promoting efficient, energy-saving infrastructure and accommodating a swelling...