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policymakers

How Cities Can Shift Power to the Youth

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...

Six Steps to Decarbonising Buildings

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...

A Contributor’s Guide to CityChangers.org

Ready to hit the keys and share your story? Believe us, we’re just as excited as you are! Here’s a little guide on how to structure your knowledge and the story you’re telling, to...

Are Public Festivals Damaging Urban Parks?

Because of the population density, cities are a concentration of the best and worst of everyday human behaviour. Nowhere is this more evident than at celebrations that infringe on urban parks. With the warmer weather of...

How Cities Can Build with Timber… Responsibly

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...

A Just Transition: Raising Workers’ Rights in the Built Environment’s Transformation

As the construction and manufacturing industries undergo a transformation to new and better ways of delivering the built spaces we need, a hidden majority is often overlooked: the sector’s workers. It’s right that we...

Train Drain: Why We Shouldn’t (Always) Travel Sustainably

Sustainability needs a warning label. The somewhat tongue in cheek Godwin’s law suggests that in any online discussion going on long enough, someone will make a comparison with the Nazis. In a similar way, it...

Five Truths About Housing We Don’t Discuss

In the heated discussion about housing and the housing affordability crisis, it is easy to lose track. What points should we consider when talking about housing? What do we need to raise awareness of?...

Infrastructural Changes for Pedestrians: What to Consider

Changing the infrastructure is never an easy task. A lot of thought goes into designing an efficient transport system – but does it consider all modes of transport? Learn about the most important elements...

#8 Citizens, Assemble!

Elected officials make decisions that affect millions of people, but beyond voting every few years, what say do citizens really have? Maybe democracy needs a tune-up. Citizens’ Assemblies – a sort of lottery promising better representation...

What Went Wrong with the Paris Referendum On E-Scooters?

Micromobility has an image problem. In Paris, a mix of poor planning and bad user habits came to a head as the public voted for e-scooters to be banned. Mobility expert Dagmara Wrzesińska’s outspoken...

Building a Better Housing Model with the European Community Land Trust Network

Fulfilling the need for quality, affordable, future-proofed housing is one of our cities’ biggest challenges. Marginalised and low-income populations need the current system to change the most. Community Land Trusts offer an equitable and...

CityChanger Ronni Kahn: Don’t Waste Food – Use It Up!

While people go hungry, there’s no justification for food waste – itself a massive contributor to destructive climate change emissions. What began as a one-woman mission to redistribute unwanted food has become a global...

When You Don’t Feel Safe in Your Own Neighbourhood – The Lack of Safety for Communities of Colour

Black individuals are 2,5 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement on public surfaces, are often harassed at home by their neighbours, and only 22% of them feel they can safely bike...

Metamorphosis: An EU Project Where Children Are the Central Force Behind Change

When was the last time you saw children playing on the streets of your neighbourhood or heard their carefree, joyful laughter? Probably a long time ago. We seem to live in a society where...

Cars or Kids, Who’s King? How to Put Children Before Cars in City Planning

For the last century, there’s been an ongoing battle for city space between cars and children, which, for the most part, has been won by the former. Kids no longer have the right to...

CityChanger Tim Gill: Back to the Future of Child-Friendly Car-Free Cities

Tim is an independent scholar, consultant and global advocate for child-friendly cities. He is passionate about making car-dominance a thing of the past and achieving a better balance between the needs of car drivers...

From Enemy to Ally? How to Share Bike-Lanes With E-Scooters

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...