Apr 11, 2019
Today, cities represent only 2 percent of the planet’s surface but houses approximately 50 percent of the world’s population. Generating 80 percent of the global CO2 emissions, they consume 75 percent of our energy. According to the United Nations, there will be 2.5 billion people in cities by 2050. At this rate, we will urbanize…
Apr 11, 2019
South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world. According to the World Economic Forum’s Inclusive Development Index 2018, no other nation has higher income inequality. Much of this has to do with South Africa’s historical legacy. The majority of the population was dispossessed by colonization and further impoverished by apartheid. People…
Apr 11, 2019
Read the french version As Mayor of Montréal and Advisory Board Member for The NewCities’ Wellbeing City Award, I would like to first and foremost congratulate all finalists prior to the Wellbeing Cities Forum for their work in placing wellbeing at the core of their design, planning, and urban policies. Home to NewCities’ headquarters, I…
Apr 11, 2019
Missing Infrastructure I’ve been thinking a lot about infrastructure lately, and not just about roads, bridges, cables, and pipes. Those are indeed all part of infrastructure, and very essential parts of infrastructure at that. Without these physical structures, keeping the lights on, driving your car, even flushing the toilet would be a whole different ball…
Apr 11, 2019
Smart Cities Solutions offer innovative means to proactively address health and wellness. It lends relief to an already strained healthcare system, one which faces ever-increasing demands and quality expectations in light of continued urbanization, industrialization, an aging population, climate change, and growing healthcare costs. Design with the future in mind It’s often been said…
Mar 19, 2019
Together with our presenting partner ENGIE, we have brought together experts from across the globe to explore how private, public, and non-profit sectors can work together to mobilize research and innovations, so cities can be more productive while lowering their carbon footprint. Presented by:
Mar 07, 2019
Together with CoMotion, we are celebrating International Women’s Day by exploring ways for women to thrive in cities through urban mobility. Presented with:
Mar 07, 2019
On International Women’s Day last year, NewCities published 12 pieces on “The Future of Women in Cities,” highlighting what metropolitan governments around the world are doing to work towards gender equality. Returning to this theme, this year we are bringing the gendered focus to a specific aspect of life in cities: mobility. Mobility plays a…
Mar 07, 2019
When I graduated from college and moved to San Francisco in 1998, I did not have the financial luxury of owning and stowing a car in my new hometown. In the pre-smartphone era (shout out to Generation X!) this meant collecting three different transit ticket passes, a grip of paper maps, and hours spent on…
Mar 07, 2019
Every mother looks towards celebrating her baby’s first birthday. But too many women never get the chance to celebrate that milestone. To address the persistent and systemic issue of infant mortality, I established CelebrateOne; a public-private initiative led by Executive Director Erika Clark Jones. We’re charged with reducing our community’s alarming infant mortality rate by…
Mar 07, 2019
As modern India takes shape, more women and girls are stepping out of their homes to stake claim to their dreams and ambitions. Apart from the social upliftment, women’s participation in the workforce can add $770 billion to India’s GDP by 2025. Even though women comprise nearly half of the population, it is surprising they…
Mar 07, 2019
The problem Transport is not gender neutral. In a multi-modal way, women walk more, rely more on public transport, their trips are shorter, and at off-peak hours. Women’s travel patterns are mainly dictated by the care economy; where they travel with children, elders, bags, and conduct errands. Evidence from Argentina shows that on average men…
