All Things Urban

As the world gets warmer, cities are getting warmer faster than surrounding lands. Without sufficient adaptation on the part of urban authorities, this heat will increasingly kill vulnerable inhabitants. At the same time, heat often coincides with drought: the global urban population exposed to water scarcity is set to increase by at least 81% between 2016 and 2050. Heat will cause water scarcity, just as water can also help with heat. While the first cities to be affected will be in the Global South, cities in Global Northern countries are starting to consistently face the same challenges. How can urban policy actors solve this dilemma? In Catalonia, authorities are innovating water governance during droughts and heatwaves.

In Bratislava, empathy and play are not just child's play; they are essential tools in redesigning urban spaces. This story marks the beginning of a compelling series from the Urban95 Academy by LSE Cities and the Van Leer Foundation, which guides city leaders in crafting environments that prioritise the needs of young children and their caregivers. Bratislava’s efforts to create safer, more accessible streets stand as a testament to the transformative power of child-centric urban planning. As we delve into this series, we'll uncover how cities around the globe are innovating to create communities that support the well-being of all their residents, proving that what works for children works for everyone.

Inhabiting space - whether it be a rural town or a massive metropolis, is an integral part of the human experience, and within our urban encounters lie many stories about the lives we’ve led. Drawing on my experiences of open space in four of the places I’ve lived - Johannesburg, Amsterdam, Cape Town and Brighton - I’ve had a glimpse into the differences and similarities of urban life in these places. What is open space and why do we need it?

One of our community members, journalist and blogger Michal Manor, researched how Eindhoven - a smart and innovative city - is coping with the COVID-19 crisis. Michal believes that Eindhoven is a tolerant city, promoting the values of cooperation and togetherness, and she would like to share her insightful findings of the city's solutions to the ongoing pandemic.

In our new comprehensive series on urban tech, we're taking a deep dive into how we can leverage new technologies to improve city living.