Mushrooming Solutions: How Mycelium is Cementing an Eco-Friendly Alternative
Are we all going to live in mushrooms soon? Alexander Jachnow explains how fungi-based construction could be the solution to make building practices more sustainable.
Are we all going to live in mushrooms soon? Alexander Jachnow explains how fungi-based construction could be the solution to make building practices more sustainable.
Embark on a journey through Queretaro’s urban transformation with Jorge Javier, where migration and climate challenges inspire pivotal changes. Uncover the compelling reasons driving transformative urban shifts for a sustainable and climate-resilient cityscape.
Rwanda’s urban population is rapidly increasing, posing chances and challenges. Enrico Morriello illustrates how the country’s construction industry could pave the way to sustainable urbanisation.
November 17 was Solutions Day at the recent climate conference COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. To discuss how to combine financial modalities with city-level policies to facilitate public and private investment in low- and zero-carbon buildings, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development co-hosted an event with the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance. By Laura Puttkamer
Breathing new life into city architecture through native materials and construction techniques will catalyse lasting change and adaptability amidst unpredictable climate change-related incidences. Kweku Addo-Atuah on a return to Ghana's architectural heritage.
Concrete is the second most consumed material in the world after water, making it an essential component of urban development. However, cheap housing comes at a price. Can we still afford to pay for it? Jorge Javier and Cecilia Tortajada provide clear responses.
Echoes of the same story can be heard in cities across the globe – homelessness is on the rise and the cost of housing is increasing at an alarming rate while the availability of decent housing dwindles. Kirsten McRae with recent statistics on the global housing crisis and why we should no longer financialise our most basic human good.
While we assume cities will continue to face rapid growth, the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced a trend which counters linear population projections: qualified professionals no longer move where work is, but work from where they want to live. If, before the pandemic, cities competed to attract head offices or multinational corporations, today they have to compete for each qualified individual.
“We need a new spatial contract”, says Hashim Sarkis, curator of the 17th International Architecture Exhibition, inviting participants from all around the globe to ponder sustainability and the question ‘How will we live together’. But how just and sustainable can architecture truly be? A critical review by Aseman G. Bahadori
The 11th of November was Cities Day at the recent climate conference COP26 in Glasgow. Together with BMZ and Cities Alliance, GIZ organised an event entitled “Cities built4climate – Shaping the global transformation in construction”. Considering that the construction sector is responsible for about 40 per cent of global CO2 emissions, it is particularly relevant to find ways to cut down emissions in construction.
Juanita Alvarez outlines how the Green Building Councils of Latin America employed Public Private Partnerships to join forces for sustainable development.
Rapid urbanisation is leading to quick spatial expansion in cities across Africa – but cities are largely failing to manage this growth. Urban expansion planning is a tested and pragmatic strategy that cities can use to organise their urban peripheries. By Patrick Lamson-Hall
International development efforts must be designed with long-term impacts in mind. Dr Hassan Elmouelhi provides insights into the Egyptian context and asks an all-important question: Is international development overlooking critical opportunities?
Urban design and city planning is complicated and for experts only? Michael Dehoyos takes us on a stroll through San Francisco and proves that with a little imagination, anyone can become an urban planner.
Sustainability should be more than just finding ways that allow us to continue our current lifestyle, argues Chrisna du Plessis. Regenerative design strives for a future where human civilisation evolves as one part of nature that is following its own laws of circularity.