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How to Change a City

By 2050, more than 68 percent of humanity is expected to live in urban areas. But are our cities prepared for all the challenges this entails? This Mashable series explores how our cities can become more sustainable and equitable homes to their human and non-human inhabitants.

Split screen: on the left, an image shows cars stranded by a urban flood, while the image of the left is of a thriving city with a lot of green space. Caption reads: sponge cities.

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Split image shows a platform in Barcelona's Metro as a train arrives (left) , and an EV charging station (right)

How Barcelona's Metro trains generate electricity 1:17

A split-screen shows two photographs of a construction hoarding – before and after the vertical meadow grew on it. Caption reads: "Vertical meadows"

‘Living walls’ are transforming London construction sites 1:22

Atheletes jump in the river Seine, with Pont Neuf and the Eiffel Tower in the background. Caption reads "Olympic effort"

How Paris cleaned up the Seine for the Olympics 1:18

A split-screen shows a photograph of the sand battery from the outside (left) and an illustration stripping down the same building's walls to show how it works on the inside (right)

A sand battery in Finland is transforming sustainable heating 1:31

Latest

Cities might hold the key to sustainable woodworking

When a tree falls in a city, it is heard — and (re)used.

07/02/2024

By Teodosia Dobriyanova

A split screen image shows a hand polishing a newly finished wooden plank (left) and a phone scanning the tag of a log to verify its origin (right)

A split screen image shows a hand polishing a newly finished wooden plank (left) and a phone scanning the tag of a log to verify its origin (right)

How can we adapt cities to extreme heat?

"We need to go back to the understanding of how you design a building more naturally to keep cool."

08/10/2023

By Teodosia Dobriyanova

A black and white illustration explains the heat island effect. In the middle, there's a dense city emitting heat where temperatures are at 35 degrees Celsius (95 F), while the surrounding countryside is much cooler, at 25 degrees Celsius (77 F)

A black and white illustration explains the heat island effect. In the middle, there's a dense city emitting heat where temperatures are at 35 degrees Celsius (95 F), while the surrounding countryside is much cooler, at 25 degrees Celsius (77 F)

How can India prepare its cities for severe heatwaves?

Mashable spoke to locals and experts to find out what those in charge are doing to protect their citizens from extreme heat.

06/21/2023

By Teodosia Dobriyanova

A still image showing a main road in New Delhi in the heat. Caption reads: "heat relief"

A still image showing a main road in New Delhi in the heat. Caption reads: "heat relief"