Blog

Unique insights into what is happening in cities worldwide.

Tackling Pollution and Improving Travel Safety on the Streets of Jakarta: Q&A

May 04, 2015

Action on mobility and climate need to be taken now. As one of the most congested cities in the world, Jakarta encapsulates the urgent need to find innovative solutions for mobility and climate change. Ahead of the New Cities Summit in Jakarta, we are calling upon Indonesia-based innovators to enter the Jakarta Urban Challenge to…

Governor Ahok’s Policy to Solve Jakarta’s Traffic Jams

Apr 30, 2015

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia with a total area of 661.52 km², home to 12.4 million people during daytime and 9,9 million at night. This number is almost four times that of other major cities in Indonesia such as Bandung, Surabaya, and Medan. The city of Jakarta is surrounded by other, smaller cities, such…

Tweet Chat Recap: Unlocking the Grid

Apr 23, 2015

We can’t assume that infrastructure or cars will be the same in the future, but we need to work towards a healthy #sustainable commute – Charbel Aoun, Senior Vice President – Smart Cities at Schneider Electric, @CJAoun Cities around the world are either praised or criticized for their traffic management and transport solutions. Catch our…

Shaping the Future of New Cities: A Roundtable in Iskandar Malaysia

Apr 15, 2015

I just returned from a trip to Iskandar Malaysia to chair a roundtable for developers and leaders of the world’s largest and boldest new cities. The meeting was part of Cityquest, our community of builders of large-scale new city projects and their partners around the world. Representatives from four new cities joined us to discuss…

Reflections Upon the Promise of New Cities

Apr 10, 2015

Today, most of the world’s population lives in cities, and the number of people moving into urban centers is rapidly increasing. This is exacerbating issues such as air pollution, traffic congestion and a shortage of affordable housing. On top of this, 67 per cent of the total global energy consumption is disproportionally concentrated within cities.…

Cities are the Battleground to Combat Climate Change

Apr 07, 2015

According to a United Nations report, cities will become responsible for 75 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. However, local governments have the opportunity to play a major role in curbing this trend and combatting climate change. Certain cities around the world are already demonstrating positive action in this realm. The establishment of…

Why Soft Infrastructure is Key to Shaping Dynamic New Cities

Apr 01, 2015

New Cities Need Living Communities What is a city? Is it an economic entity, a critical mass of people or a spectrum of employment opportunities? A density of towers and ambitious infrastructure does not always translate to an urban condition. A city is defined as much by its built environment as it is by its…

The Promise of High-speed Rail in New Cities

Mar 30, 2015

Developments in high-speed rail (HSR) have had a great deal of exposure in recent months – from the launch of the California High Speed Rail system to the possibility of the world’s longest HSR line between Beijing and Moscow. Cities, regions, and countries around the world are considering HSR as a viable option for passenger…

Tweet Chat Recap: Animating our Public Spaces

Mar 27, 2015

Cities have capability of providing something for everybody when they are created by everybody. Public space is where this happens – Global Cultural Districts Network – @GCDNet On March 25, we hosted our second Tweet chat in the run-up to our New Cities Summit in Jakarta. The topic this month was Animating our Public Spaces.…

The Nocturnal City

Mar 24, 2015

One’s experience of a city at night is always singular and intimate, especially when visiting for the first time, experiencing its landscape after a period of absence or following a long journey. Then, a new time-space engulfs us. We ask ourselves, should we rush back to daytime reality or accept to linger a little longer…

Why Paris is Building the World’s Biggest Participatory Budget

Mar 09, 2015

This year, Paris is putting in place the largest and most ambitious citywide participatory budget in history. The initiative is an important step in our aims to create a more collaborative city. Historically, the question of citizen participation has been a central one in the politics of Paris. The move towards a more collaborative city…

Why Paris Is Building the World’s Biggest Participatory Budget

Mar 09, 2015

This year, Paris is putting in place the largest and most ambitious citywide participatory budget in history. The initiative is an important step in our aims to create a more collaborative city. Historically, the question of citizen participation has been a central one in the politics of Paris. The move towards a more collaborative city…