Evanston, a city with ambitious goals for affordable housing, sustainability, and community development, has received a significant boost in the form of a $985,000 federal grant. The grant, awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Innovative Finance and Asset Concession Grant Program, will enable the city to leverage local, regional, and national exper...

As we navigate the complexities of modern childhood, it's essential to acknowledge the profound impact of our built environment on kids' mental health. Dr. Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general, has sounded the alarm on the crisis of youth mental health, and experts like Jonathan Haidt and Peter Gray have shed light on the role of social media and urban design in this...

Akon, the famous singer, announced in 2020 that he would build a futuristic city in Senegal, his "hometown." Dubbed "Akon City," this ambitious project would be powered by green energy and solar power, feature condominiums, a seaside resort, and a university, and use Akoin, his cryptocurrency, as its primary source of exchange. Akon promised that Senegal would have a...

In the face of rising intense storms and urban flooding, one Chinese landscape architect is challenging the norm by embracing nature instead of controlling it. Kongjian Yu, founder of Turenscape, has been designing 'sponge cities' for over a decade, allowing nature to soak up and retain stormwater before releasing it back into the environment. These projects, which ...