URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Apr 20 2025SCIENCE

Sports Spaces: How Xi'an's Venues Have Changed Over Time

Xi'an, a city rich in history, has been transforming its sports venues over the past decade. The number of these spaces has been on the rise. This growth isn't random. It's spreading out from the heart of the city, specifically from Xincheng, Beilin, and Lianhu districts. But what's driving this change? Several factors are at play. Commerce, industry, and population...

reading time about 1 minute
Mar 06 2025POLITICS

Kigali's Changing Face: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Land Seizures

Imagine waking up one day to find that the land you've called home for years is suddenly gone. This is the harsh reality for many residents of Kigali, Rwanda's capital city. The city is growing fast, and with this growth comes a lot of changes. One of the biggest changes is land expropriation. This is when the government takes land from people for what they say is t...

reading time about 2 minutes
Mar 05 2025BUSINESS

Renting Madness: Where It's Toughest to Find a Place to Live in the U. S.

The rental market in the U. S. is heating up, and it's not just because of the weather. Despite a record number of new apartments being built last year, finding a place to rent is becoming even more challenging. This is a surprising twist, considering that nearly 600, 000 new multifamily units were completed. That's the highest number since 1974 and a significant jum...

reading time about 3 minutes
Mar 01 2025TECHNOLOGY

Smart Trash Sorting in Cities of the Future

Cities are getting smarter, and so is trash management. Imagine living in a city where trash cans can talk to each other and to the city's brain. This isn't science fiction; it's happening now with the help of the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT is like a network of smart devices that can collect and share data. In this case, it's helping to sort trash more efficiently...

reading time about 1 minute
Feb 19 2025ENVIRONMENT

Ningbo's Green Web: How Urban Growth Changed Its Natural Links

Ningbo, a bustling city in China, has seen its urban areas grow rapidly. This growth has taken a toll on the natural environment. To tackle this, experts decided to create ecological networks. These networks help connect different parts of the landscape, protect various species, and support the region's long-term development. The study focused on Ningbo and used spe...

reading time about 1 minute
Jan 16 2025BUSINESS

DC's Mayor Bowser: Turning Empty Offices into Business Boom!

Washington DC's Mayor Muriel Bowser has unveiled a new plan to tackle the city's empty office problem. With many workers still remote post-pandemic, downtown businesses are struggling. Bowser's "Office to Anything" program offers a 15-year property tax freeze for offices that transform into retail spaces, hotels, or restaurants. "A mix of uses makes our neighborhood...

reading time less than a minute
Jan 12 2025ENVIRONMENT

Why California's Wildfires Are Getting Worse

California's wildfires are becoming more intense due to climate change. Experts warn that these fires are here to stay and will impact every industry in the region. The problem isn't new – it's been building for over a century. Wildfires are natural, but human development and climate change make them worse. Santa Ana winds are normal, but this year's were extreme. T...

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Dec 13 2024EDUCATION

City Beautification: Does It Boost Urban Fairness?

Ever wondered if making cities look nice and civilized actually helps everyone in the city? A recent study looked into this using China's "National Civilized City" program as a test case. They checked out 272 cities from 2003 to 2020 and found some interesting stuff. First off, making cities civilized seems to help everyone in the city. It's like when you clean up y...

reading time less than a minute
Nov 17 2024TECHNOLOGY

How Smart Cities Boost Our Exercise Habits

Ever wondered how smart cities can get us moving more? A recent study dug into this, using data from China's Family Panel Studies from 2010 to 2020. They found that smart city construction really does make a difference in how much we exercise. The study used a special method called Difference-in-Differences (DID) to see how smart city policies affect people's workout...

reading time less than a minute
Nov 01 2024TECHNOLOGY

Reviving a Historic Minnesota Hotel into Modern Homes

Imagine this: a century-old hotel in Minnesota, left empty for years, is getting a new lease on life. The Solem Hotel, built way back in 1919, is being transformed into something amazing - 18 modern apartments! This isn’t just any renovation; it’s happening with the help of some super cool 3D scanning tech. AMI Consulting Engineers and the City of Cloquet are teaming...

reading time about 1 minute