Dec 29, 2020
The rise of the sharing economy has changed the way that urbanites consume products and use services. It has proven to be a force that bridges public and private interests – it is, at once, social and commercial, formal and informal – and its ubiquity has prompted a global, cross-sectoral evaluation of how it has…
Dec 07, 2020
For our final episode of the weekly Big Rethink series before relaunching in 2021, Data Action author and MIT Civic Data Design Lab director Sarah Williams joins us to discuss the uses and abuses of urban data, surveillance in “smart cities,” and who this data is for. Watch now Photo credit: Pexels
Dec 01, 2020
Fireside Chat with Shaun Donovan, Former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development & John Rossant, Chairman of NewCities Shaun Donovan shared his hopeful predictions for the change of administration, his past and present campaign motivations, and his prioritization of equity and inclusion into all aspects of his leadership. Here were a few things that…
Nov 02, 2020
City sounds are not often considered a friend, but more of a nuisance to be reduced or even cancelled. As citizens, we tend to forget that, “we constantly rely on sounds to interact with our environment and plan our actions,” as Catherine Guastavino and Daniel Steele remind us in “What Should the City Sound Like?”…
Oct 23, 2020
Why The Pursuit of Quiet Isn‘t Working We constantly rely on sounds to interact with our environment and plan our actions, be it to avoid an approaching car, attend to a crying baby, or answer a ringing phone. Certain sounds orient, comfort, or excite us while others distract or annoy us. Calm sound environments can…
Oct 22, 2020
Do you listen to your city? Whether it’s a bird chirping on a neighborhood street, a train passing through town, or a car honking its horn, our auditory senses play a huge role in how we experience and navigate an urban environment. Focusing on the soundscape of cities can unlock this often forgotten layer of…
Oct 22, 2020
Traditionally, cities have often treated urban sound as “noise,” an isolated nuisance that should be measured and mitigated using noise control strategies and regulations. Attempts are frequently made to manage unwanted sounds by creating special windows, noise barriers, and hi-tech materials to drown these noises out. This myopic approach can solve some issues, but it…
Oct 22, 2020
In 2002, the European Environmental Noise Directive was released with the aim of establishing a common methodology among Member States to reduce noise pollution. One of the noise reduction measures introduced by the Directive was the creation of a plan for quiet areas in open country and agglomerations. The importance of protecting quiet areas in…
Oct 21, 2020
In March of this year, stay-at-home advisories and the cessation of all non-essential activities were implemented across the globe to alleviate the demands of rising COVID-19 cases on our healthcare systems. Highways once brimming with road traffic were freakishly desolate. Communities that lived directly under flight paths shared with me that their windows didn’t rattle…
Oct 20, 2020
Sound affects everything we do. It is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of all life and is a crucial building block for civilisation. Before the onslaught of visual media, the importance of sound, hearing and listening was understood to be critical to life. But in modern life we are continually bombarded by noise –…
Oct 08, 2020
What is Higher Ground all about? Climate change is already impacting cities around the world, including where people are moving and why, the housing and real estate markets, and nearly every aspect of life in cities. In partnership with the City of Orlando, NewCities is excited to launch our initiative, Higher Ground. Through a virtual…
Oct 06, 2020
We have long known that our physical and social environment impacts our overall health—from pollution, air and water quality, to our working conditions and access to housing. COVID-19 has brought to light the importance of optimizing cities for urban wellbeing, calling into question spatial planning and density, public space, and health systems. To what extent…
