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  • As floods increase, cities like Detroit are looking to green stormwater infrastructure

    In Detroit, a city with plenty of open space, there is ample opportunity for green stormwater infrastructure to help the city better manage water. The dual goal of decreasing water pollution and better managing flood conditions has already started with the 16 GSI projects in use. A new approach to water drainage fees based on amount of land has incentivized business owners to implement their own stormwater-reducing measures. The city plans to spend $50 million more on these efforts in the next ten years.

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  • Barcelona's superblocks are a new model for "post-car" urban living

    The implementation of "superblocks," or large areas of urban space dedicated to pedestrian & bike multi-use traffic and the unification of urban and rural living benefits, helped one Spanish city reduce automotive traffic. Now, an urban innovator aims to bring superblocks to Barcelona in an attempt to scale this community-oriented solution.

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  • The Living Machine: Collier's 24-year water filtration experiment is a success

    An experimental water treatment plant in Florida has been performing as efficiently as other conventional treatment plants for the last 24 years. Known as the Living Machine of the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, it filters 6,000 gallons of wastewater per day and is inspired by how natural wetlands and marshlands filter water. While government officials were skeptical at first, the Living Machine continues to pass monthly inspections, is less costly, and is not as noisy so visitors can enjoy the wildlife in the sanctuary.

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  • Pittsburgh's ‘living building' focuses on eco-friendly construction

    Creating sustainable buildings requires rethinking many of the norms in construction and city planning. The Center for Sustainable Landscapes, part of the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received the first Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification. To achieve this, CSL advocated for changes to Pittsburgh’s laws on the use of public water utilities. CSL also had to seek out construction materials that avoided the use of harmful chemicals-a task easier said than done.

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  • What a beautiful tiny house in rural Japan can teach us about the health of cities

    A rural Japanese town partnered with AirBnb to create a community home that showcases the community's unique lumber products while bringing tourism into the town. Community members trade off caring for the house, which is made of locally-sourced wood and serves as a focal point for renewal and economic stimulation in the region.

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  • This new neighborhood in Amsterdam is made of floating houses

    A community in North Amsterdam tackles the issue of rising water levels head on by building homes that can float. The houses are built to include solar energy grids using blockchain so neighbors can share electricity, and the structures rise and fall with the ebbs and flows of flooding.

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  • You can now ski on top of a $670 million power plant in Copenhagen

    Amager Bakke is a powerplant in Copenhagen that is designed to get residents of the city engaged in a conversation about where waste goes, all while burning up to 400,000 tons of waste a year, powering 60,000 homes, and heating 160,000 homes. In 2013 the local plant was redesigned to burn the city's waste and encourage interaction by building a ski slope atop the plant, a hiking trail, and an elevator that introduces education about waste management. Amager Bakke is still new and experimental, so its long-term success is still unclear, and it is not completely emission-free yet.

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  • How Removing Asphalt Is Softening Our Cities

    Cities around the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom are removing asphalt to make space for nature. From creating rain gardens that reduce flooding to planting flowers along the edges of alleyways, residents and public officials reimagine their communities with less asphalt and more grass.

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  • FGCU's geothermal air conditioner reduces impact on the environment

    Florida Gulf Coast University utilizes a cooling plant that serves as the primary air-conditioning unit for multiple buildings on campus. This plant uses geothermal energy, which compared with traditional air conditioning units, has less of an impact on the environment and saves the university money on its power bill. FGCU currently has 146 total thermal storage tanks producing over 23,000 tons of cooling capacity for its academic buildings.

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  • Rooftop gardens: the coolest roofs around

    An ecologist is installing a rooftop garden on a home in Florida and early results suggest that the green roofs have helped moderate indoor temperatures. While the initial cost of these gardens can be high, these green rooftops can be beneficial for the environment and can even provide a longer lifespan for the roof.

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