Blog

Unique insights into what is happening in cities worldwide.

How Global Security and Technology are Changing Policing in the US

Aug 31, 2017

Dean M. Esserman is the NewCities Associate Fellow for Security and is the Senior Counsellor of the Police Foundation, an American, independent non-profit organization dedicated to advancing policing through innovation and science. NewCities (NC): What changes have you seen over the last decades when it comes to safety and public security in cities? Dean Esserman…

Why Cities Should Be Planned for Night – and Not Just Day

Aug 28, 2017

The Anglo-Saxon planning system that guides our towns and cities in North America is not fit for purpose. The reason I say this is that the rules and guidelines that determine what is built where and why ignores the length of our day. The concept and practice of planning urban areas is tailored almost exclusively…

Better Mobility for Healthier Cities

Aug 04, 2017

My work as the Director of ENGIE’s key Cities Program has taken me to cities across the world. I’ve had the privilege of meeting elected leaders and other stakeholders who share our interest in the future of energy and solutions for an increasingly urbanized world. While every city has its unique challenges, one thing I…

Why Places Matter According to Mariela Alfonzo

Aug 04, 2017

Mariela Alfonzo is the NewCities Associate Fellow for Placemaking and CEO of State of Place – a predictive analytics software which helps city-makers create walkable, livable and smarter places quickly, cost-effectively, and efficiently. NewCities (NC): How did you first get involved in researching and advocating for the value of ‘place’ in the urban environment? Mariela…

NewCities Associate Fellow Sarah Moser Unpacks Greenfield Cities

Aug 01, 2017

In this Q&A with the NewCities Foundation, our Associate Fellow for Greenfield Cities Sarah Moser explores the challenges and opportunities of master-planned cities around the world and reveals how she developed her compelling interest for new urban projects. NewCities (NC): Master-planned cities have long been part of urbanization around the world. What first led you…

David Gomez-Alvarez on Citizen Engagement in Cities

Aug 01, 2017

David Gomez-Alvarez is currently a visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is the Executive President of Transversal, a think tank based in Guadalajara, Mexico. He was appointed Associate Fellow for Citizen Engagement by the NewCities Foundation in May 2017. Here is his take on why citizens should be at the heart…

A Chat on Sustainability with Jean-François Barsoum

Aug 01, 2017

NewCities has recently expanded its fellowship program to highlight leading urban thinkers. Associate Fellows play a key role in advancing our mission to make cities more inclusive, connected, healthy and vibrant. An expert on smart cities, innovation, corporate responsibility and climate change, Jean-François Barsoum is our Associate Fellow for Sustainability and spoke to NewCities about…

What Defines a Healthy City

Jul 19, 2017

This post is part of our Thriving Cities discussion series, following the sixth edition of the NewCities Summit in Incheon Songdo, South Korea in June 2017. With the rapid growth of cities around the world, urban wellbeing is quickly becoming synonymous with global health and wellbeing. While cities offer the promise of improved economic opportunity…

How to Measure and Set Standards for Urban Wellbeing

Jul 19, 2017

This post is part of our Thriving Cities discussion series, following the sixth edition of the NewCities Summit in Incheon Songdo, South Korea in June 2017. Just as buildings, cars, and national governments have enforceable and measurable standards, so should cities. With the increasing standard of urban life as the ultimate goal, cities must be…

The Crowdsourced City

Jul 19, 2017

This post is part of our Thriving Cities discussion series, following the sixth edition of the NewCities Summit in Incheon Songdo, South Korea in June 2017. Around the globe, the last decade has seen an unprecedented mobilization from civil society to ensure more accountability and transparency from local governments. In this context, crowdsourcing and participatory…

The Social Infrastructure of Healthy Cities

Jul 19, 2017

This post is part of our Thriving Cities discussion series, following the sixth edition of the NewCities Summit in Incheon Songdo, South Korea in June 2017. Urban density and our close proximity to fellow residents within cities makes them hubs for interaction. The importance of these interactions cannot be underestimated as evidenced by the consequences…

How to Thrive Amidst the Urban Boom

Jul 19, 2017

This post is part of our Thriving Cities discussion series, following the sixth edition of the NewCities Summit in Incheon Songdo, South Korea in June 2017. Over the next 15 years, the number of urbanites in global cities is expected to rise by 1.5 billion people. There is a pressing need to increase the efficiency…