Sustainable Urbanization
Sustainable AI for Cities: Strategic Priorities, Challenges, and Long-Term Impact
As cities strive to become carbon neutral and resilient to climate effects carbon neutral, AI can play a pivotal role in driving this transformation. This article explores the dual nature of sustainable AI for cities — both as a tool for solving sustainability challenges and as a system that must itself be ethical and sustainable by design.
Read MoreSustainable AI for Cities: Strategic Priorities, Challenges, and Long-Term ImpactSteering Autonomous Vehicles and Sustainable Cities Toward a Liveable Future
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) could either deepen car dependency or support sustainable, liveable cities. This article contrasts two scenarios: private AVs driving congestion versus shared AVs integrated with transit. Drawing on examples from Singapore, Phoenix, and Stockholm, it highlights key tools — transport hierarchy and road pricing — to guide cities toward greener, fairer futures.
Read MoreSteering Autonomous Vehicles and Sustainable Cities Toward a Liveable FutureThe Rise of City Harbor Swimming in Modern Cities
Harbor baths turn urban waterways into vibrant, accessible public spaces. City harbor swimming not only provides recreation but helps cities cope with rising heat and climate stress. Northern European cities like Copenhagen have shown how design, water quality management, and civic engagement can reclaim polluted harbors. Today, these spaces combine wellness, sustainability, and social inclusivity, redefining the city’s relationship with its water.
Read MoreThe Rise of City Harbor Swimming in Modern CitiesBelgrade’s Green Cover in Crisis: How a June Heatwave Stripped the City’s Vegetation
In June 2025, Belgrade experienced record-breaking heat, leading to a sharp decline in urban vegetation. Using NDVI data from Landsat satellites, this article analyzes the spatial and sectoral impacts of the heatwave on Belgrade’s green cover. Parks, residential zones, and industrial areas all showed significant vegetation stress, revealing disparities in resilience. The findings frame vegetation as critical infrastructure—essential for cooling, health, and economic stability—and call for urgent adaptation in urban planning amid escalating climate risks.
Read MoreBelgrade’s Green Cover in Crisis: How a June Heatwave Stripped the City’s VegetationAir Quality in the Balkan Capitals: Confronting the Urban Sustainability Challenge
Air quality in the Balkan capitals remains a defining challenge for the region’s urban sustainability goals. This article explores how pollution, carbon emissions, and weak governance are constraining progress in Western Balkan cities. Despite lower per capita emissions, cities struggle to decarbonize due to fossil fuel dependence and outdated heating and transport systems. Public health impacts are severe, yet policy responses remain fragmented. The piece concludes by calling for a strategic shift from declarations to action to secure a sustainable urban future.
Read MoreAir Quality in the Balkan Capitals: Confronting the Urban Sustainability ChallengeMapping Equitable Access to the City with CThood: Interview with Vasileios Milias.
How accessible is your neighborhood, really? In this interview, researcher Vasileios Milias shares how CThood is redefining urban equity through open data and visual tools.
Read MoreMapping Equitable Access to the City with CThood: Interview with Vasileios Milias.Above the Heat: Why Cities Need White Roofs Now
As global temperatures rise, cities need affordable ways to stay cool—white roofs offer one. Reflective coatings can lower indoor temperatures by up to 6 °C and reduce urban heat by 2 °C. Case studies from London to Delhi slums show clear benefits in comfort, energy savings, and emissions. These coatings are low-cost, easy to apply, and often community-led. Despite some trade-offs, white roofs are a powerful tool for cooler, healthier cities.
Read MoreAbove the Heat: Why Cities Need White Roofs NowUrban Heat Adaptation in Action: Cool Cities for All
The article explores how cities are fighting extreme heat with inclusive design, smart innovation, and climate justice to build cooler, healthier urban futures for all
Read MoreUrban Heat Adaptation in Action: Cool Cities for AllFrom Risk to Resilience: Urban Heat Adaptation in Action
As extreme heat becomes an escalating urban threat, cities worldwide are pioneering bold adaptation strategies to protect public health, infrastructure, and economic vitality. From green canopies and reflective rooftops to reimagined public spaces, From Risk to Resilience showcases climate-smart planning are transforming heat-vulnerable cities into hubs of resilience.
Read MoreFrom Risk to Resilience: Urban Heat Adaptation in ActionAge-Friendly City for the Silver Generation
As cities confront rapid population aging, age-friendly urban planning is emerging as both a social necessity and a strategic growth opportunity. This paper explores how aligning urban design, housing, and local economies with the needs of older adults can drive…