Urban Green Spaces Are Our Most Effective Tool to Improve Urban Life
Rapid urbanisation also means that the game for the quality of life and the health of the citizens will be won or lost in the cities. Barcelona-based architect Eloi Juvillà Ballester analyses the potential of urban green spaces as decisive component in this game.
Integrated Approaches to Reconstruction: Safeguarding Heritage And Rebuilding Lives
Rebuilding cultural sites that were destroyed in armed conflict needs to be an essential part of urban reconstruction policies. However, as Shadia Touqan argues, rebuilding these sites cannot be addressed in isolation from what should be any policy's priority: protecting the lives of the people who live there.
Informality and Climate Resilience – The Story of Onyika Settlement, Windhoek, Namibia
In Namibia, the major share of urban growth is informal, with an estimated 30-40 per cent of the population living in informal settlements, with trends projecting shacks to become the predominant form of housing by 2025. Being especially vulnerable to climate change, these forms of settlements require special attention in the development of climate resilience strategies.
A Spark of Hope: Making Nairobi’s Slums Fire Resilient
High density and poor building materials make informal settlements extremely prone to fire hazards. The Nairobi-based enterprise Kwangu Kwako has developed a housing model that, while being truly affordable, increases fire resilience and thus positively affects many aspects of residents' lives.
My City in Crisis: The Struggle to Reconstruct
As densely populated urban areas like Homs, Raqqa, and Idlib in Syria continue to be the site of years-long armed conflicts, architect Ammar Azzouz argues that cities must not wait for post-conflict reconstruction plans. Rather, amidst destruction, ideas for the cities of tomorrow should be developed.
Let Them Play! Nairobi through a Child’s Eye
The number of children living in urban areas is on the rise. However, this is not reflected in cities' infrastructures. Rapid development is shrinking the amount of suitable and safe play areas for children. Using Nairobi as an example, Peninah Ndegwa, founder of Wow Mom Kenya, reflects on why and how cities should become more child-friendly.