From robotic trucks to smart bins: how technology is helping cities sort their waste problem: Since early January 2025, residents of Birmingham in the UK have been caught in the dispute between the city council and the Unite union over pay, terms and conditions for waste and recycling collectors. The latest attempt at talks broke …
Autocrats and cities: how capitals have become a battleground for protest and control: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest reigning female political leader, fled Bangladesh on 5 August 2024 for the safety of India. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of protesters descended on Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka. The crowds ransacked her official residence, occupied the …
Raising revenue from land: what African cities might learn from Hong Kong’s unique land-lease system: Land prices across many African cities are soaring. This is because land is a city’s key asset. As urbanisation progresses, demand for land will rise, and therefore so will land prices, because the supply of land in cities is limited. …
How 2-Tone brought new ideas about race and culture to young people beyond the inner cities: This Town, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight’s latest drama for the BBC, brings to life a defining – if short-lived – era in the history of British youth culture and popular music. Set in the West Midlands against the …
Is my water safe to drink? Expert advice for residents of South African cities: In early March 2024 the residents of Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city and the economic capital of the country, were hit by extended cuts in water supplies. This was a new low after months of continuous deterioration. Professor in the School …
AI could make cities autonomous, but that doesn’t mean we should let it happen: You are walking back home. Suddenly the ground seems to open and a security drone emerges, blocking your way to verify your identity. This might sound far-fetched but it is based on an existing technology – a drone system made by …
Why Nottingham and Birmingham will be followed by more cities running out of money: Nottingham town hall. trabantos/Shutterstock Almost a fifth of England’s council bosses have warned they are running out of money so badly that they will become effectively bankrupt this year or next. A report by the Local Government Association also indicates that …
Building African cities that cope with climate shocks – experts outline what it will take: The international climate change negotiations began almost three decades ago when many were still hesitant to accept that human activities were changing the planet. Now the scientific evidence is unequivocal. Climate change is a major threat to our wellbeing, the …
Growing African vegetables on buildings can save space and feed cities – new study: The Eco Green Wall is an example of a sustainable living wall system. Karen Botes As cities grow, more people need food. However, space for farming is limited in cities. Building facades can offer a solution for growing food. We asked …
Building on the greenbelt is central to solving the housing crisis – just look at how the edges of cities have changed: Amid new targets of 1.5m new homes over five years, the Labour party has pledged to review the planning rules which dictate where housing in England can be built. The shadow chancellor, Rachel …
What the decision to curtail HS2 and embrace cars means for the UK’s cities: If you consider the decision by the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, to cancel phase two of the high-speed rail project, HS2 in the context of the government’s growing pro-car stance, the potential ramifications for the country are profound. Steve Tuckwell’s …
Cities like Homs and Kharkiv show how homes, streets and neighbourhoods have become the frontline in modern warfare: It has been almost 12 years since I left my city. And I have never been able to return. Homs, the place I was born and grew up, has been destroyed and I, like many others, have …
Net zero: can cities become carbon-neutral on their own? Here’s what the evidence suggests: Glasgow aims to be carbon-neutral by 2030. Ulmus Media/Shutterstock More than two-thirds (67%) of the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change originated in cities in 2020. It is not surprising, therefore, that mayors have joined national politicians in setting targets for …
Cities are central to our future – they have the power to make, or break, society’s advances: Dharavi slum in India. Billions of people live in terrible conditions in the world's cities. Punit Paranje/AFP via Getty Images We live in tumultuous times. In the space of just a few years, we have witnessed a surge …
African cities and climate change: the real debate is who should pay to fix the problem: Most mayors and managers of African cities know too well that climate change is real GettyImages For most city mayors and managers in Africa, the debate about whether climate change is real is a moot topic. They know it …
Bees and hoverflies are key to growing more fruit and veg in cities — new research: Accessing affordable fruit and vegetables is a significant challenge for the 1.2 million UK residents living in what are known as “food deserts”. People in these neighbourhoods are unable to purchase fresh food within walking distance or via a …
Star Wars: Earth will never be an ‘ecumenopolis’ like Coruscant, but our cities are devouring the world: Any fan of the galaxy far, far away will have loved the newest information gleaned from The Mandalorian about life on the planet-city Coruscant. The latest instalments of Disney’s streaming series, now in its third season, have seen …
Wars in cities: three rules for protecting the built environment during conflict: This is a digitally generated image of what a city might look like after a war. Getty Images During the course of wars, the infrastructure of cities faces destruction. Fighting, regardless of its intentions, destroys roads, bridges, commercial and residential buildings, as well …