When the pandemic struck America, the economic disparities became strikingly clear as “the ability to live in a place where you can safely get your needs met is a privilege of the few”. As public health indicates the benefits of public spaces – including social benefits, enhanced trust, collaboration, neighborhood …
A report by the Knight Foundation shows that outdoor public spaces are becoming more important than they were pre-pandemic around the world. The “Adaptive Public Spaces: Places for People in the Pandemic and Beyond” report assessed the impact of various public spaces around the United States in four areas: design …
An intersection in the Westport Neighbourhood in Kansas City, Missouri employed art to solve a longstanding issue of speeding and pedestrian safety in a local intersection. A resident of the city has the idea to transform the intersection using art and design. The streets around the intersection were narrowed to …
The City of Akron has an Annual Akron Parks Challenge. This initiative allows for residents to provide new ways to improve the city parks. Two winning submissions are then given a 100,000 dollar grant. The Akron Mayor, Mayor Horrigan, states how it is important for public space to create equity …
In the past week, New Orleans faced a Category 4 Hurricane Ida, 16 years after Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane took out all the power throughout Louisiana and blocked access to essential pumps to drain storm water which were installed after Katrina hit the city. The storm intensified prior to reaching …
As extreme weather events become more frequent and devastating due to climate change, a company called AquiPor created a material that will allow rain to flow through it to prevent flooding. Pavements are part of the problems in cities during extreme weather events, as they allow water to collect on …
Like many island nations, Kiribati is being threatened by the rising sea level. But it has no plans for sinking down, only one to rise above the ocean. Researchers at Simon Fraser University studied the country’s satellite images from the past decades and found that many islands have been rising …
The City of Calgary is bringing ten new inclusive playgrounds in various locations this year. This project will be a partnership between the city and the Calgary Parks Foundation and will be coordinated by Joan Macdonald, the capital projects coordinator for city parks. The project is estimated to cost $4.2 …
This video explores Ginkgo Bioworks, a company based out of Boston, MA, which has created the largest DNA factory in the world and hopes to use cutting edge synthetic biology to solve some of humanity’s biggest problems. The factory has categorized and logged huge amounts of digital code through DNA …
Are you feeling uneasy about talking to people again after almost a year-long of social distancing? Neuroscience might be able to explain that. Maintaining social networks is essential for survival in the animal kingdom, and humanity is no exception. We are hardwired to crave social interaction and maintain what is …