Cities
latest news & developments
Oxford study finds world’s highest heat-risk cities concentrated in Asia and Africa
Heat risk is about more than temperature. A new Oxford study of 205 cities found that poverty, limited infrastructure and lack of access to cooling are key factors driving urban…
Urban heat hits poorest areas hardest, new street data shows
A new global platform maps urban heat at street level, showing how exposure is rising and falling disproportionately on poorer communities, while giving cities tools to test…
How cities in developing regions can build climate resilience
Developing cities like Cape Town are at great risk of climate risk, they need to plan smart
Reinventing Africa’s most influential city
Johannesburg is the beating heart of the African continent—the financial engine that drives its growth
Amplifying the voice and visibility of gender to unlock inclusion in smart cities
Cities in general have a masculine vision. This needs to change
Cities are key to tackling climate change
Populations, resources, power and consumption are centred in cities, and this affects rural areas
Everyone — not just governments — must act to mitigate climate change
If we don’t engender an all-of-society approach, we run the risk of exposing our country, our cities and our people, often the most vulnerable among us, to the climate crisis
Cities will feel the heat from climate change
South Africa’s urban areas are urban heat islands and heat waves will intensify the distress
South African cities must put green infrastructure firmly on the urban agenda
A green investment increases resilience and adapts cities to the harmful effects of climate change — and increases property prices and addresses issues such as health, water,…
Durban tackles heat island effect
By 2050, more than 570 cities will be vulnerable to sea-level rise, more than 500 cities will be vulnerable to water shortages, and more than 970 cities will be vulnerable to…
Covid compels a rethink on cities
Far from rendering major cities obsolete, the pandemic forced the mayor of Paris to quickly implement pedestrianisation as an urban design innovation. With thoughtful planning,…
Unpacking Johannesburg’s myriad anxieties
Anxious Jo’burg, edited by Nicky Falkof and Cobus van Staden, acknowledges the city as a real place and not a horrifying stereotype
South Africa’s cities opt for clean energy
Efforts to reduce carbon emissions will hinge on the transport sector
How designing ‘green’ buildings can help to combat the climate crisis
South Africa’s buildings account for 40% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. But the City of Johannesburg’s new draft green buildings policy aims to change that
On bioclimatic architecture: ‘We have our own science, but we have forgotten how to transmit it’
This conversation between Mpho Matsipa and Mamadou Jean-Charles Tall, focusing on bio-climatic architecture in Senegal, is part of the larger African Mobilities project