New research from Binghamton University, State University of New York might point the way to cooling steamy cities. A Binghamton professor has received a grant for his work pertaining to the urban heat island effect in cities.
Tag: Cities
Unlocking urban diversity: The magnetism of complex amenities
Diversity fuels prosperity in cities, but where do people from diverse backgrounds meet? A study from the Complexity Science Hub now indicates that locations offering a range of rare shops and services may hold the key.
Q&A: UnlockedMaps provides real-time accessibility information for urban rail transit in six metro areas
Researchers at the University of Washington developed UnlockedMaps, a web-based map that allows users to see in real time how accessible rail transit stations are in six metro areas: Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, Toronto, New York and the California Bay Area. UnlockedMaps shows which stations are accessible and which ones are experiencing elevator outages.
First global survey of mayors shows urgent climate, infrastructure, equity challenges
A new global survey of city leaders underscores pressing challenges facing municipalities, including rising inequality, extreme heat and flood risks exacerbated by climate change, and a need to rebalance transportation systems that overly favor private automobiles.
Climate deal promotes ‘car-centric’ system, falls short on transit
As senators gear up to vote on a long-anticipated climate, tax and energy bill as soon as this week, electric vehicles are poised for a boost. One of the landmark provisions in the package is an extension and expansion of…
New Study Finds Transportation Expenses Drive Urban Cost of Living
Economists utilized an advanced version of an urban simulation model to study the determinants of housing cost in cities. They discovered that higher transportation costs have a greater impact on the cost of living than zoning restrictions.
‘Urban Canyons’ Prolong Sonic Booms in Cities
Recent efforts have sought to make low-boom supersonic aircraft, but noise issues due to sonic booms may become more pronounced in cities, where buildings form canyons that distort the booms. In The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, researchers conducted simulations comparing how sonic booms reflect differently over a single building, two neighboring buildings, and multiple buildings spaced at regular intervals. The researchers found the wider the streets compared to the height of buildings, the less booms are affected. Narrower streets introduced more complex boom propagation.
Census shows city growth trends that could threaten climate efforts
New 2020 census data released on Thursday shows that nearly all the nation’s growth was in cities. Population growth in urban environments can signal an important trend in fostering sustainable, dense communities, but only if that growth occurs in the…
New reports address COVID-19’s fiscal effects, policy possibilities
From revenue shortfalls to meeting increased demand for public services, the challenges facing government entities require atypical policies to deal with these issues in the COVID-19 era and beyond, according to new reports from the Government Finance Research Center at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Black diabetes mortality higher that white rates in top 30 U.S. cities
Examining data at a city level can inform more targeted local policy interventions and programming to promote health equity, find researchers.
UIC Urban Forum to address wealth gap, equity concerns
New York Times best-selling author Heather McGhee to deliver keynote for virtual event April 14
New Cornell Tech course helping cities reboot
Finding innovative solutions for cities’ most pressing problems is a primary goal of the new Urban Tech Hub, part of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech.
Greenland Melting Likely Increased by Bacteria in Sediment
Bacteria are likely triggering greater melting on the Greenland ice sheet, possibly increasing the island’s contribution to sea-level rise, according to Rutgers scientists. That’s because the microbes cause sunlight-absorbing sediment to clump together and accumulate in the meltwater streams, according to a Rutgers-led study – the first of its kind – in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The findings can be incorporated in climate models, leading to more accurate predictions of melting, scientists say.
Cities beat suburbs at inspiring cutting-edge innovations
The disruptive inventions that make people go “Wow!” tend to come from research in the heart of cities and not in the suburbs, a new study suggests.
Wildfires reveal safety in city living
As urbanites flee pandemic prone cities, wildfires in the Western U.S. may just give them a reason to come back. Suburb and foothill communities have seen increasing susceptibility to wildfires, and as infernos continue their blaze in California, Oregon and…
If it takes a hike, riders won’t go for bike sharing
Even a relatively short walk to find the nearest bicycle is enough to deter many potential users of bike sharing systems, new Cornell research suggests.
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Greenland Ice Sheet Study
New Brunswick, N.J. (Dec. 23, 2019) – The southern Greenland Ice Sheet may experience precipitous melting this century due to a much smaller temperature increase than scientists thought would be required, according to a Rutgers co-authored study. The global sea level…
Hazards Mapping, History and the Future of Rust Belt Cities
Using geographic information systems (GIS) and archaeology to model industrial hazards in postindustrial cities to guide planning and development.
Where to park your car, according to math
In a world where the best parking space is the one that minimizes time spent in the lot, two physicists compare parking strategies and settle on a prudent approach.