With so many properties failing to meet contemporary energy efficiency standards, much needs to be done to save occupants from needless discomfort and expense. There are plenty of mainstream retrofit concepts, but what about...
It’s minus 30 degrees. Not the ideal temperature to cycle to work, is it? The enthusiasm to get on a bike while it is freezing cold or insufferably hot might, understandably so, be rather...
Stakeholder engagement can be challenging at any time but initiating open, constructive dialogue with socially deprived neighbourhoods has its own set of obstacles. Urban Designer Mikaela Åberg has a decade of experience in creating...
Wherever you’re at in your change-making journey, there’s no doubt that you’re going to need a bit of help somewhere along the line. In fact, it’s safe to say you won’t be able to...
How does the design of public spaces influence mental health? Could urban design reduce isolation and loneliness and increase accessibility and mobility? “Rosario is also its older adults”, a pilot project in Rosario, Sante...
Over the last year, we’ve found ourselves in a situation unfamiliar and nerve-wracking to all of us. The pandemic and its impact on people all across the continents have shown us the importance of...
Plenty of professionals and residents in your city are hungry for change, just like you. It makes sense to combine forces. Together you can achieve more, faster. But it takes a specific skill set...
If you want a say in what happens within your city, the food-water-energy nexus is a perfect opportunity. It impacts almost every aspect of our lives and every function of our cities. Involving as...
The idea behind Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) is a straightforward one: it means closing off local streets to private cars and through traffic. Yet this seemingly ‘simple’ change can completely transform a residential area...
According to the European Commission, we spend 90% of our lives in enclosed buildings. That’s quite a lot, considering how much vegetation and the outdoors positively affect us. So, why don’t we simply incorporate...
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...
The housing market is in crisis. Demand is increasing, rents are soaring, and even middle-income earners are struggling to afford to live in cities. What is the root of this housing affordability crisis, and...
This article was written by and for the C40 Knowledge Hub, which delivers cutting-edge insights and practical resources from leading climate cities for others working in city government. It was originally published here in March 2019....
Why aren’t we retrofitting more? There’s an unarguable case in favour, after all. Something must be holding us back. The problem is that property owners are just not that engaged in the movement. It...
Community energy is an agent of decarbonisation. Transition in the sector is gaining momentum. How can we motivate people to get involved and maintain that trajectory? We asked Éva Goudouneix, Community Development Manager with...
Are you keen to retrofit? That’s what we like to hear. But hold your horses! Do you know what you’re doing? We mean, really know. Being ill-prepared may result in not-so-efficient changes, wasting more...
European construction activities are predicted to grow by 3% per year. Housing, office and retail space need to be built and refurbished, roads must be repaired, resealed or dug up to renew pipes, or...
Construction consolidation centres are tools for city administrations to reach emission targets through cutting back on the most polluting traffic: heavy goods vehicles. Stockholm’s Fredrik Bergman implemented Sweden’s largest CCC, the Bygglogistikcenter, which serves...