Tanja Polonyi

Public Buildings are essential to every city. They can be the heart of the community, places where neighbours gather, children play and learn, and real life takes place. That’s why it’s even more important to make these buildings sustainable, have them be a role model for future architecture projects,...

Urban planning can no longer be business as usual, and cities need to allow for the necessary innovation to tackle the world’s environmental problems. We talked about these topics, among others, with Florian Lorenz, ecologist, landscape architect, and activist. Florian Lorenz is not only an educated ecologist but overall a...

They endanger pedestrians, they are annoying, and people throw them away like garbage: E-scooters. Many citizens, especially pedestrians and cyclists, do not care for them. But let’s be clear: the potential of e-scooters is high, and we need to find a way to include them safely into our city’s...

Making a city pedestrian-friendly is no easy task. You need the policies to back you up, you need a strategy for your city that outlines exactly what you want to achieve and the actions that need to be taken to increase walkability. But what to keep in mind when...

A grand single-family house in the suburbs with a nice garden and a big garage at the end of a long driveway where two cars easily fit – that is an aspiration of many North Americans, spawned by the concept of the American Dream. However, this idealisation lacks future...

How can you solve plastic pollution and flooded cities at the same time? CityChanger Anne Koudstaal and Simon Jorritsma have an answer for you: PlasticRoads. For them, the future generation of road infrastructure consists of recycled plastic.  About 91% of plastic worldwide is not recycled, which has led to massive plastic pollution on...

Living in one apartment with 10 others – for some a nightmare but for many the perfect alternative living model in times of a housing affordability crisis, mass urbanisation, and increasing loneliness. This article gives you an overview of what coliving is and why you might want to try...

With the climate crisis growing, teaching children about sustainability should be an obvious addition to their education. However, there are big discrepancies in countries’ curriculums and the resources given to teachers. In this article, we look into the importance of sustainable schools and offer tips on what to keep...

Making your city’s buildings sustainable is a big aspiration and not easy. However, one thing that definitely helps are powerful examples of architecture that showcase the immense possibilities this field holds. One expert for these examples is CityChanger Birgit Rusten, who talked with us about sustainable architecture, public buildings,...

Canada, similar to the US, has a heart for single-family houses and suburbs. A concept not really suitable for rapid urbanisation and the need for sustainable and affordable housing of the future. Thankfully, there are architects like Naama Blonder who are trying to change the conversation. Naama Blonder is an architect...

Every neighbourhood has the potential to become a wonderful place to live - a city block with vibrant streets, romantic lights, bookstores and cafés! In a lot of communities, this potential is simply too hidden for the residents to see. We talked to CityChanger Jason Roberts, who started his...

Walking comes naturally to most people; hence, many of us don’t view it as an issue to consider in city planning. We’ll take a look at all the challenges walking activists are facing to understand why walking has, unjustifiably, been put in the backseat of urban mobility for so...

Are you looking for some expert knowledge on how to make your city pedestrian-friendly and encourage residents to walk more? Then you’re in the right place! From guides to handbooks and courses, you’ll get the best, freely accessible information here! You want to get more people walking, however, it can...

The Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way we move. It has highlighted the need to reallocate space and take a new perspective on city planning. Early in 2020, Dublin set a plan in motion to boost active mobility and make the Irish capital a more pedestrian-friendly city.  Due to...

When more than half of the population doesn’t own private vehicles, but the city still has no significant cycling infrastructure, change is overdue. We talked with CityChanger and Young Leader Seble Samuel, co-founder of the open streets movement in Addis Ababa, about cycling in Ethiopia, problems female cyclists face,...

When talking about bringing change to cities, many governments and private organisations tend to hold on to traditional ways of creating policies and engagement. But many researchers are looking into new, innovative ways of how to change things. One approach that can’t be ignored is participatory city-making – collaboration...

There is one thing women all over the world have in common – fear. Fear of harassment and violence as soon as they enter public spaces. How to conquer this global issue? CityChanger Kalpana Viswanath took the technical approach and co-created an app that helps women figure out which...

Did you ever notice that the perception of cycling in the media is mostly performance and competition-based? How many miles can you cycle, what gear do you use, etc.? But what about those inexperienced and unsure about taking up cycling? For those rookie beginners, CityChanger Yann Moszynski has designed...