Why Oslo's 'greedy method' may be the answer to Utah's air pollution woes

Caltrain's $2.4 billion electrification of 51 miles of track replaced diesel trains with faster electric ones, resulting in ridership increases (it doubled on weekends) and shorter trips. This also led to an 89% reduction in riders' exposure to toxic pollution and an estimated 250,000 metric tons of annual carbon emissions reductions.

New York City black tar roofs cause a number of environmental problems, including air pollution, heat absorption that raises energy consumption, and storm water runoff in the sewer system. Efforts to turn these old roofs into green spaces cool the buildings, enable the containment of more rainfall, reduce sewer discharge, generate energy, and absorb carbon emissions. New York City has a pilot program offering financial help for green roofs.

The extensive, all-electric tram system in Strasbourg has emerged as a solution to address air pollution and street congestion caused by cars as well as a critical medium of transport as the city expands its low-emission zones. The tramway's ridership has been resilient, even during the pandemic, and its inspiring a revival of the system across France.

A housing project in Brooklyn is taking nine apartment buildings and retrofitting them to be more sustainable and cut carbon emissions. Casa Pasiva is a $20 million project that aims to reduce heating and cooling costs because of updated machinery and thick exteriors that will improve air quality. Funding for these types of initiatives is not always certain, but a collaboration between a developer and a nonprofit, with some city financing, made this first-of-a-kind green building renovation in New York possible.

Because of a collaborative effort between a high school cross country team and Chispa, an environmental advocacy group, Arizona’s Phoenix Union High School District has bought its first electric school bus. While nearly three times more expensive than a regular school bus, the school district considered the long-term sustainability, not just in terms of fuel and maintenance costs, but in regards to larger, environmental efforts as well.

In the heart of one of Europe’s fastest growing capitals, cars are rapidly disappearing. To reduce pollution and build a people-first city center, Oslo has promised to ban all cars in downtown by 2019. The multi-pronged effort includes making public transportation services more efficient, building 60 kilometers of new bike lanes, and transforming parking spaces into pedestrian-friendly areas.

In Salt Lake City, a bipartisan coalition of public and private actors, including members of the business, industrial, religious, political, and civic communities voluntarily came together to pass an ambitious twenty year land use plan. The plan, which conserves water, promotes clean air, and imposes new taxes for new rail lines, was made possible by Envision Utah, a public-private partnership that capitalizes on many Utahns' cultural and religious heritage.

Singapore's Vehicle Quota System (VQS) requires prospective car owners to bid in government auctions for a Certificate of Entitlement (COE), which grants a 10-year right to own a vehicle. The VQS has successfully reduced car ownership growth and prevented many issues related to urban traffic, but it's been at the cost of making cars unaffordable for most residents and generating significant public resentment.

Superblocks are areas in congested cities where traffic has been rerouted to prioritize people. Outfitted with green spaces and communal areas to connect, superblocks help reduce air and noise pollution. Residents living in the area report a higher quality of life and increased social interaction with their neighbors. The idea of superblocks has traveled around the world to cities like Vienna, Berlin, Buenos Aires, and Los Angeles.

In February, municipal authorities in Paris began installing sound radar devices in the city as part of a slew of measures taken since 2015 to address noise pollution, an issue which is being considered more seriously as a public health risk. Holistic measures like installing sound-barriers, low-noise asphalt, vehicle-restrictions, and housing regulations have already reduced the average noise level by two decibels and brought down the number of people living in noisy environments.