lessons from history Archives | CityChangers.org

Guest Article

Hefei’s Three-Ring Strategy: A Blueprint for Flood-Resilient Urban Growth

Karl Dickinson - February 16, 2026

This article is reproduced with the kind permission of Urban Solutions Journal. In it, the urban planner behind “China in 5”, Lile Mo, explains how the Chinese city of Hefei came up with sustainable...

Greenery & Biodiversity

Giving Łódź’s Abandoned Industrial Land New Life: Urban Future Podcast #3 – Fuzja

What's That Green - August 3, 2026

How did Łódź, Poland, turns eight hectares of abandoned factory land into a green, multifunctional, and inclusive neighbourhood? In this episode of the What’s That Green? podcast, recorded LIVE at the Urban Future conference,...

Skill

Living Heritage: Using Traditional Knowledge to Reach Sustainability Targets

Karl Dickinson - July 6, 2026

Using transition design to utilise the knowledge of living heritage provides cost-effective opportunities to reach sustainability targets. If only we can learn to communicate it effectively. Communication is the lynchpin to change. Fail to express...

Climate Adaptation

Why Community Gardens Need Co-Creation: Urban Future Podcast #2 – Pelgu, Tallinn

What's That Green - June 29, 2026

How can a municipality encourage local residents to lead their own community garden project? In this second episode of the What’s That Green? podcast to be recorded LIVE at the Urban Future conference, Fanny...

Research

Urban Manufacturing in London

Iris Fiebiger - February 11, 2025

London has a long history of manufacturing. Its industrial activity continues up to this day in areas like Haringey, Old Oak & Park Royal, and the Maker Mile. The Cities of Making project examined...

Research

Lessons from Urban Manufacturing Through Time

Karl Dickinson - February 11, 2025

The 21st-century European city is an amalgamation of the old and new. Contemporary manufacturing is heavily influenced by what came before. This heritage is key to its identity, survival, and revival, but time has...

Retrofitting

Renovating Makes Cents: How to Retrofit on a Budget

Karl Dickinson - April 11, 2022

Realistically, for a shot at halting climate change, we need to make buildings more efficient, big time, with widespread retrofit rollouts in the next few years! Regardless of good intentions, that’s not easy without...

Architecture & Design

Young Leader Omar Zahran: Architecture as a Tool for People-Centred Cities

Karl Dickinson - July 10, 2023

How does so much historic architecture endure the ravages of time? It’s because the architects of yore knew how to build cities to suit their environment, and they did so to meet the needs...

Circularity

How Cities Can Build with Timber… Responsibly

Karl Dickinson - May 14, 2024

Biobased materials can deliver buildings that are both low-carbon and fit residents’ needs: robust, resilient, and pleasant to be in. They can allow us to ‘partner’ with the natural world too, supporting the forest...

Architecture & Design

d-Lab: Reviving Social Infrastructure via Architectural Design

Karl Dickinson - February 25, 2025

Preserving historic architecture seems at odds with renovating buildings to meet modern sustainability standards. One Spanish university, however, is bridging these two worlds – by reviving traditional construction methods. It just so happens that...

lessons from history

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