In ageing societies like Europe, young people have little of the political power needed to influence decisions that impact their lives. As a group for whom sustainability is a prominent concern, futureproofing cities relies...
Ever had a desire to become an activist for reclaiming car space for people but don’t know where to begin? Ever looked to places with car-free centres like Amsterdam and Oslo and wondered how...
Taking space away from the dominant road user — a.k.a. private cars — is a politically sensitive subject and a brave decision for any politician to make. But getting a political buy-in could be...
You know your city has a problem with car use but don’t know where to begin trying to fix it? Look no further! Our How to Get Started guide tells you everything you need...
You may have already heard of the concept of a ’15-minute city’, but what do urban planners really think about the feasibility of making cities time-scaled, is this mere design fantasy, or is this...
This article was written for CityChangers.org by Irene Garcia, Built Environment Lead, and Michael Shank, Director of Engagement, both with the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance. In it, they outline a six-step plan – illustrated...
Finance is an unavoidable puzzle piece in making cities sustainable. With scaling a priority, leveraging enough money is a challenge. Too often, if forces us to focus on a single objective, when what we...
With water flowing in from beyond the city boundaries, how can we realistically keep it in check? The International Water Association’s 17 principles for water-wise cities may hold the answer. In this article, we...
We need to provide housing for everyone in our cities, including the most vulnerable groups. Doing so encourages social cohesion, promotes wellbeing, and ultimately makes our cities better places. The question is: how can...
Youth homelessness is often an overlooked topic. There are public institutions helping young adults and minors in need, right? Well, sadly, that’s not always the case. We spoke with the Co-Founder of Point Source...
Urban development isn’t always about the brand spanking new. It’s all well and good to build new modern constructions, but it’s even more essential to give those run-down, if not abandoned areas some love...
CityChangers have the know-how, stress-tested projects, and innovative policy ideas worth shouting about, but it takes more than being an expert to influence our peers. Captivating presentations take practice – and it’s a different...
Constructing sustainable buildings in our cities is all well and good, but sometimes you’ve got to step back and look at the bigger picture: urban development. In order to create a city suitable for...
How do we unlock urban agriculture’s potential? By improving policies, spreading knowledge, and implementing a supportive network. This is the work of European Forum on Urban Agriculture, an EU project determined to help urban...
This article is part of a paid collaboration between Urban Future and Pop Up City Amsterdam, implemented in the run-up to UF24 in Rotterdam. The featured "recipe", the Open Air Kitchen, is one of...
Implementing spatial changes that benefit citizens isn’t a straightforward process. In many cities, there’s not a process for it at all! Or is there? The case of Muscat, in Oman, shows us that it...
Day Zero: the moment a city’s water dries up completely. For Cape Town, this deadly scenario came too close, but it was averted thanks to collective action and decisive leadership. This story serves as...
This article was written for CityChangers.org by Dr. Michael Shank, adjunct faculty at New York University and George Mason University. In it, he argues that cities stuck in the business-as-usual rut can hand the...