Why cities are critical to achieving a carbon-neutral world
In May 2018, the city of Paris set an ambition to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
- Countries, governments and companies are aligning on a need for net-zero - and this is an opportunity to rethink decarbonizing our cities.
- There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution – each city's needs must be at the heart of developing integrated energy solutions.
- A city can only decarbonize through collaboration between government, the private sector, and local communities.
Education vs. learning: How semantics can trigger a mind shift
The word "learning" opens up space for more people, places, and ideas.
- The terms 'education' and 'learning' are often used interchangeably, but there is a cultural connotation to the former that can be limiting. Education naturally links to schooling, which is only one form of learning.
- Gregg Behr, founder and co-chair of Remake Learning, believes that this small word shift opens up the possibilities in terms of how and where learning can happen. It also becomes a more inclusive practice, welcoming in a larger, more diverse group of thinkers.
- Post-COVID, the way we think about what learning looks like will inevitably change, so it's crucial to adjust and begin building the necessary support systems today.
A buried ancient Roman city uncovered using radar technology
Ground-penetrating radar allows the non-invasive virtual excavation of Falerii Novi.
- Using ground-penetrating radar, layers of an ordinary field in Italy are pulled back to reveal a lost Roman town.
- Without disturbing a single artifact, an incredible level of detail is uncovered.
- The buried town, Falerii Novi, has been quietly awaiting discovery since it was abandoned at the start of medieval age.
Technology and patience
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM4NzE4MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzQxMTY4MH0.DIOloya9PvQywFEed7II9NiUJzaCUv5aqslmE4bQTDo/img.jpg?width=980" id="f1a3f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="71904c4627c2cc05a5ef7ca3f904cdb4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="ground-penetrating radar equipment scanning the field" data-width="1440" data-height="834" />Image source:Frank Vermeulen/University of Cambridge
<p>Falerii Novi was unearthed using <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926985118305846" target="_blank">ground-penetrating radar</a>, or GPR. With each pass across that field, the bike pulled a rolling frame outfitted with a GPR instrument that bounced radio waves off of whatever lay beneath it. The device took a reading every 12.5 centimeters, eventually imaging the entire 30.5-hectare area. Without disturbing a single ancient artifact, GPR generated a remarkably detailed look at the lost city, with its various different layers depicting changes that occurred over time.</p><p>In the end, the researchers were confronted with 28 billion GPR data points to be processed, an almost impossibly huge task. Each hectare takes about 20 hours to work through, and the team is currently developing automation techniques that will allow them to fully explore the data collected by the GPR.</p><p>Corresponding author of the study recently published in <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/groundpenetrating-radar-survey-at-falerii-novi-a-new-approach-to-the-study-of-roman-cities/BE7B8E3AE55DB6E03225B01C54CDD09B#fndtn-information" target="_blank">Antiquity</a>, Martin Millett of Cambridge's Faculty of Classics, is <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/roman-city-rises" target="_blank">clearly excited</a> by the project:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;"><em>"The astonishing level of detail which we have achieved at Falerii Novi, and the surprising features that GPR has revealed, suggest that this type of survey could transform the way archaeologists investigate urban sites, as total entities."</em></p>Falerii Novi
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM4NzIwNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODE4NjMxMH0.eVrydFSBZs3xLaAhgAA1XFnUeIaI6FGtmggJ4N519BI/img.jpg?width=980" id="263e2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6446619be28f954d75a17884b6af1690" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="A preliminary version of the Falerii Novi map" data-width="1390" data-height="1181" />A preliminary version of the Falerii Novi map
Image source: University of Cambridge
<p>Quite a bit was already known about the walled town of Falerii Novi. It was first occupied in 241 BC, and lasted until around 700 AD., the early days of the medieval period. It's located about 30 miles north of Rome. The town, which was about half the size of Pompeii, has been the subject of other scanning research before, but has never been so thoroughly revealed until now.<br></p>What's new/old?
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM4ODQxNC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTQ3OTE4NX0._z1JKPFQHTBUdUKl1W9xDZC2EypBnU-G3TTib7lvEqc/img.png?width=980" id="b1c66" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c9eee6cf0614e5eb43e0c7b8e7e3845c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Falerii Novi" data-width="980" data-height="567" />Image source: L. Verdonck/University of Cambridge
<p>The visible Falerii Novi contains a number of surprises.</p><p>In a broad sense, the town's layout appears less standardized than archaeologists would expect for an ancient Roman community, with a number of notable features.</p><p>There's the mysterious pair of large structures facing each other within a porticus duplex located at the town's northern gate at the upper edge of the image above. Experts have no idea what these buildings are, though they conjecture that they may have been some sort of massive monument overlooking the city's edge.</p><p>In addition, for a small city, the temple, market building and bath complex are unexpectedly elaborate.</p><p>GPR also revealed the existence of an intriguing network of pipes that may have been a large public bathing system featuring an open-air natatio, or pool. The pipes terminate at a large rectangular building and run not just along the town's streets, as might be expected, but also under its city blocks.</p>Looking forward
<p>With the Falerii Novi project serving as such a stunning reason to keep using this technology for archaeology, Millet envisions many more such projects: "It is exciting and now realistic to imagine GPR being used to survey a major city such as Miletus in Turkey, Nicopolis in Greece or Cyrene in Libya. We still have so much to learn about Roman urban life and this technology should open up unprecedented opportunities for decades to come."</p>Guess what? We go to libraries more often than movies.
Gallup found that in 2019, movie attendance didn't even come close to library visits.
- Of all public cultural destinations, libraries are the most often visited.
- Libraries' expanded offerings make them more attractive than ever, especially to lower-income groups.
- Women are far more likely than men to visit a library.
Not even close
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjYzNzEzOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzE0NTcwOX0.aUVez6i0tSzKXXd33GhZcGerTk45HQXtXX6fCevTJio/img.jpg?width=980" id="680d7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4721a3d934dde95f3544adde2a3b7a37" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Image source: Tobias Messer/unsplash
<p>The overall average number of trips we made in 2019 to various cultural resources:</p> <ul> <li>Go to a library — 10.5</li> <li>Go to a movie at a movie theater — 5.3</li> <li>Attend a live sporting event — 4.7</li> <li>Attend a live music or theatrical event — 3.8</li> <li>Visit a national or historical park — 3.7</li> <li>Visit a museum — 2.5</li> <li>Visit a gambling casino — 2.5</li> <li>Go to an amusement or theme park — 1.5</li> <li>Visit a zoo — 0.9</li> </ul>The survey
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjYzNzE0Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzIwMDU3MX0.2SB5_vUC6pUN0Gs7cqHjumjDMWiHmhQqt802LVpveFU/img.jpg?width=980" id="03d0c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a1a62fe51d4d9b10dda1a4ae683950d2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Mid-Manhattan library
Image source: Robert Bye/unsplash
<p>Cellular and landline telephone interviews were conducted December 2-15 of last year. There were more cellular respondents than landline, which seem right these days. 1,025 adults were questioned from all 50 U.S. states, and the results have a sampling error margin of ±4%.</p><p>This is Gallup's first survey update since 2001, and reveals a 1,3-trip reduction in the number of movies attended, though again, this could simply mean we're choosing to view them more often at home.</p>Who’s making all these trips to the library?
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjYzNzE0Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDMxODY2MH0.YU_qEQbh7B11r7mjnlA75jrF3jVcyVcbzFvAoIABCfE/img.jpg?width=980" id="fb44c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0c060991ad9f6465431b51c1153efd25" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Image source: Danny/unsplash
<p>Gallup found that women are almost twice as likely to visit la bibliothèque, with 13.4 visits as apposed to men's 7.5. On the other hand, men were more likely to frequent casinos, sporting events, and parks.</p><p><strong>Income insights</strong></p><p>Today's libraries offer, of course, more than books, most notably, computers for internet access and WiFi, and so it's not surprising that lower-income respondents paid them a greater number of visits. They're also the group most often visiting casinos.</p><p>The people who use libraries the least are those who make more than $100,000 annually. These people, conversely, are the most frequent attendees of events that carry higher ticket prices such as movies, shows, and concerts.</p><p><strong>Age</strong></p><p>While it's no shock that the age group most likely to visit a library are those of student age, 18-29, the group with the highest overall attendance record for all cultural activities are those from 30-49. Their average, 7.4, is more than three points higher than older adults and more than twice the number of visits for younger adults. Gallup suggests this may reflect a time of life when one is still relatively young but is more likely to have the money to pay for entertainments.</p><p><strong>Regional variations</strong></p><p>Gallup found certain clear regional preferences among the cultural destinations they tracked. Residents of the eastern U.S. are the most frequent museum-goers, while those in the West, more often visit parks and casinos.</p>Exceptional U.S. libraries
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjYzNzE1Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTc4MTMxMH0.LjujPx9KNu6Oi2MTaATWszCEueqqhkQ-LVfv6gwqpes/img.jpg?width=980" id="f74cb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="db300d24af793b42e9b91e9b2e1b78ac" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Image source: Checubus/Shutterstock
<p>Gallup's not the only organization with an interest in library attendance, and <em><a href="https://lithub.com/the-12-most-popular-libraries-in-the-world/" target="_blank">Literary Hub</a></em> has identified the 12 most popular libraries globally, three of which are in the U.S.:</p> <ul> <li>New York Public Library, New York, NY — 18 million visitors annually</li> <li>Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY — 8.1 million visitors annually</li> <li>Library of Congress, Washington D.C. — 1.9 million visitors annually</li> </ul> <p>The American Library Association publishes a list of the <a href="https://libguides.ala.org/libraryfacts" target="_blank">25 biggest</a> U.S. libraries, and some of these places are jaw-droppingly gorgeous, as demonstrated by <em>Curbed's</em> list of the <a href="https://www.curbed.com/2017/2/9/14551106/best-libraries-architecture-united-states" target="_blank">20 most beautiful</a> American libraries. <em>Huffington Post</em> tells you where to find the best library <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-best-library-in-every-state_b_59b6e4b7e4b0465f75880935" target="_blank">in each state</a>.</p>The national library picture
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjYzNzE2Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTUwNDM1Mn0.DXzPEDguagRgo-xQ6shOEmAjvDHD_rD3RU_vl8GFQ0s/img.jpg?width=980" id="eacc0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="817cb662622fb82e07cb9a79b891b3f7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Image source: American Libraries Magazine's April 2019 Special Report
<p>Libraries' ever-expanding offerings have likewise expanded their importance as community centers in addition to being a place from which to borrow books. <a href="http://www.ala.org/news/sites/ala.org.news/files/content/2019-soal-report-final-accessible.pdf" target="_blank">American Libraries Magazine's April 2019 Special Report</a> concludes that library attendance is on the rise. 2016 saw 1.4 <em>billion</em> visits to public libraries, which works out to 4 million visits a day and roughly 2,664 visits per minute. There are more public libraries (16,568) than Starbucks (14,606).</p><p>In line with Gallup's findings that libraries are of particular importance to people with lower incomes, some of the largest U.S. libraries are <a href="https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/library-late-fees" target="_self">abandoning fees for overdue books</a> to ensure that they're not penalizing — or worse, turning away — the people who most depend on free books and the other services libraries supply. </p><p>Though ample data supports the benefits public libraries provide to communities, the rise of anti-science, anti-education, and anti-diversity attitudes are posing new challenges for libraries, ranging from conflicts over acceptable content to budgeting. The Trump administration, for example, has advocated the last three years running that Federal funding of public libraries be <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/for-third-year-in-a-row-trumps-budget-plan-eliminates-arts-public-tv-and-library-funding/2019/03/18/e946db9a-49a2-11e9-9663-00ac73f49662_story.html" target="_blank">eliminated </a>. Fortunately, the proposal faced sufficient opposition that funding was <a href="http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2019/12/fy-2020-library-budget-signed-final-bill-includes-increases-lsta-and-other" target="_blank">increased</a> in the final legislation. Funding for public libraries on the state and local levels continues to be often insecure even as libraries continue to assume their place as brick-and-mortar community centers for the modern world.</p>Mexican 'smart city' would be 100% energy efficient, self-sustaining
An Italian firm has put forward an idea for a green city that would be completely self-sustaining, modern, and green.
- An Italian architecture firm has proposed a sustainable city for Mexico.
- The plans call for a 100 percent self-sufficient metropolis, with renewable energy, Venetian canals, and endless green space.
- This design is one of many "smart city" proposals as of late that point to a new form of urbanism.
Eco-Utopia?
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjA5MzU5NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzQ4NzEyNn0.u7NCkt3nOkHQpvVC1YuicZv4yPdS68gSBAIoSo3HbUc/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=40%2C148%2C62%2C0&height=700" id="43a8d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b8209c37caa45aa01f4d6e477cbe4845" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />An aerial view of the proposed city. Notice the surrounding green space and extensive canal system.
Image source: Stefano Boeri Architetti
<p>According to the firm's <a href="https://www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net/en/project/smart-forest-city-cancun/" target="_blank">press release</a>, the city will cover 557 hectares, 400 of which will be green spaces containing 7,500,000 plants. Designed for 130,000 people to live and work there, it will feature a wide variety of housing types to accommodate the needs of its residents.</p><p>The economy of the city will be circular, with all of its food, water, and energy needs being self-generated. The designs also include a grand research center so that the city can host university departments, conferences, and curious scholars of all ages. </p><p>The city even has plans to improve the way we interact with our data. The architects told <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2019/10/25/smart-forest-city-stefano-boeri-cancun-mexico/" target="_blank"><em>Dezeen</em></a> that "Big data management is used to improve the governance of the city, hence, the life of its citizens. Sensors are distributed within the building fabric: they collect and share relevant information, which is then centrally analyzed and turned into suggestions in support of everyday life. For example, by mapping on an app the expected outdoor comfort experience within certain areas of the city."</p><p>This data will be handled with "full respect of the privacy of the citizens."</p> If all goes according to plan, the city will be built on an area currently used as a sand quarry for hotels that is tentatively scheduled to become a shopping center.Can it really be self-sustaining?
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjA5MzYzNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTA3NzAxOX0.lcfdnkWau8tCVIoQaGVgOvEJgb5IA1veJQIQweRihUs/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C25%2C0%2C187&height=700" id="da28d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b5613babdafaa1d65a88746fe459971f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Artist's impression of the fresh water canals.
Image source: Stefano Boeri Architetti
<p>The city is designed to fully sustain itself through an ingenious system of energy production and water desalination. A ring of solar panels will surround the city, generating enough power for all of the inhabitants. Water will be pulled from the Caribbean and desalinized using a solar tower. This water would be used to irrigate crops through a system of navigable canals.</p><p>Transportation will be handled by an entirely electric public "Mobility in Chain" transit system. Cars will all be left outside of the <a href="https://interestingengineering.com/architecture-firm-designs-smart-forest-city-cancun-thats-fully-self-sufficient" target="_blank">city</a>. </p><p>What carbon emissions there are will be captured by the endless <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2019/10/25/smart-forest-city-stefano-boeri-cancun-mexico/" target="_blank">plants</a>. The firm notes, with evident pride, that "thanks to the new public parks and private gardens, thanks to the green roofs and to the green facades, the areas actually occupied will be given back by nature through a perfect balance between the amount of green areas and building footprint. The Smart Forest City will absorb 116.000 tons of carbon dioxide with 5.800 tons of CO<sub>2 </sub>stocked per year."</p><p>While it currently only exists on paper, the visionaries who have dreamed this plan into existence hope the city can be an example for the world and a testing place for ideas on sustainable urbanism. It will join the ranks of several other smart cities that have been <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2019/10/28/five-smart-cities-north-america/" target="_blank">proposed</a> as ways to improve our existence, make the world more <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2017/06/28/liuzhou-forest-city-stefano-boeri-proposes-plant-covered-city-to-eat-up-chinas-smog/" target="_blank">sustainable</a>, and move beyond the limitations of our current urban planning paradigms. </p>