Built environment Articles

  • 12 Jul 2012
    What’s powering the ‘most sustainable’ Games?

    London 2012 set out to be a shining example of good green practice on resources and power use. But has...

  • 12 Jul 2012
    The most Sustainable Summer Olympics of Modern Times.

    With the Olympic Games opening this week in London, these articles look at how sustainability has been a key element...

  • 12 Jul 2012
    Will future Shards be built of wood?

    Steel and glass may not shape our skyscrapers in years to come, as architects rethink the potential of wood. Photo credit: edvvc....

  • 12 Jul 2012
    Blackfriars Solar Bridge: Solar On The Water

    Energy costs are rising and leaps in technology make renewable power a natural choice for reduction of bills and carbon....

  • 12 May 2012
    How to Build Green on a Budget

    The challenge: build the greenest houses on earth—and make them affordable. Photo credit: Steve Woods. www.rgbstock.com

  • 12 May 2012
    The UK’s new adaptation agenda

    As climate change turns from theory to fact, can the UK prepare for a resilient future? Photo: Gavin Spencer

  • 12 Mar 2012
    A Tale of Two Cities: Beijing and Detroit: Which symbolizes success, and which disintegration? It may not be what you think.

    Around the world, two opposing forces are contending to define our future. On one side are those working for a...

  • 11 Jul 2011
    To Save Our Cities, Put Children First

    What’s the universal design principle that can make our cities great? Kid-friendliness, says architect Jason McLennan. Photo Credit: Josephine Carino ...

  • 11 Jul 2011
    Basque City Capitalizing on Green

    Cities can be resource-sucking, pollutant-spewing monsters, but the picture could well be green if modelled after Vitoria-Gasteiz, 2012 European Green...

  • 11 May 2011
    Living Buildings, Living Economies, and a Living Future

    David Korten: What we can learn from two of the most exciting emerging movements of our time. Photo Credit: Kevin...

  • 11 Apr 2011
    Rebuilding after the tsunami: eco- or transition towns?

    Our World 2.0: Almost six weeks after the triple disaster of quake, tsunami and nuclear accident devastated the Tohoku-Kanto region,...

  • 11 Mar 2011
    Is Japan’s Tsunami Linked to Climate Change?

    Could the earthquake that triggered Japan's devastating tsunami be linked to climate change? The short answer is probably not,...

  • 11 Feb 2011
    Colin Beavan: Advice From an Accidental Activist

    So many of us have good ideas for helping the world. But we tuck our ideas away. I did. I’d...

  • 11 Jan 2011
    Putting Urban Gardens On The Map, A Solution To The Global Food Crisis?

    DAKAR, 13 December 2010 (IRIN) - Mame Penda Diouf talks over car horns and city bus engines as she shows...

  • 11 Jan 2011
    Island to rise out of Ocean Waste - ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ could be used to create an artificial island

    An ambitious new scheme has been launched to turn islands of rubbish into useful new living space. Recycled Island is...

  • 10 Dec 2010
    The Seven Myths of ‘Slums’ - For anyone who takes an interest in the problem of slums, a few basic facts will soon become clear

    For anyone who takes an interest in the problem of slums, a few basic facts will soon become clear. Firstly,...

  • 10 Dec 2010
    Finding Rootedness in the Age of Vulnerability

    In a world increasingly vulnerable to external shocks, we're searching for rooted communities—and what we can learn from them. ...

  • 10 Nov 2010
    Science City Stores Heat in the Ground

    A groundbreaking project is currently being implemented on the Hönggerberg Campus of renowned Swiss Federal Technical Institute, ETH Zurich. In...

  • 10 Sep 2010
    Home run

    The places we live in have everything to do with sustainability. Giles Crosse discovers why.

  • 10 Jul 2010
    Water woes

    The Earth’s supply of water is dwindling. Giles Crosse looks at the issues, and what it might take to solve...

  • 10 Jul 2010
    Transport for tomorrow

    More sustainable transport systems are increasingly important. Giles Crosse looks at the situation, and ways to hasten improvements. Photo Credit: Mohd...

  • 10 May 2010
    Altruistic art: Perhaps contemporary art forms can teach us a lot about how we ought to be treating ourselves and the environment around us.

    Our Future Planet picks up its paintbrush. It’s really quite logical that Arts, Ecology and the Environment should mix naturally. After...

  • 10 May 2010
    Tornado spurs plans for sustainable towns

    This article originally appeared in Green Futures, the magazine of independent sustainability experts Forum for the Future” When a tornado wiped...

  • 10 Apr 2010
    Future cities: The way we develop our cities has a massive impact on sustainability and our quality of life.

    Our Future Planet looks forward. There are huge problems with today’s urban centres. These range from pollution and crime to poor...

  • 10 Mar 2010
    Travelling the sustainable path

    Public transport could replace millions of cars in tomorrow’s future planet. Giles Crosse spoke to Heather Allen, Sustainable Development Senior...

  • 10 Jan 2010
    Urban appeal: Sustainable or not?

    More and more people are moving to cities. But is the shift sustainable, and is it really doing our quality...

  • 10 Jan 2010
    Past glories: Has our planet become too busy to care about global heritage?

    Giles Crosse suggests there are valuable lessons we can learn from the past. Global heritage can refer to many things: ancient...

  • 09 Oct 2009
    Is sharing and caring too old hat for ecovillages to have legs?

    Ecovillages could offer an alternative path towards truly sustainable living. But can they break into the mainstream before it’s too...