Here’s Why Japan Decided to Build Smart Cities From Scratch
Japan is arguably going through the biggest demographic challenge of modern history. After lingering around zero growth at the beginning of the 21st century, Japan‘s population has continued to shrink since 2010, with the decline rate accelerating in recent years. In 2022, the island nation, with a population of about 125 million, recorded its largest decline due to the combination […]
Toward a Circular Future: Can We Recycle Skyscrapers?
Our built environment is one of the top contributors to climate change, currently generating about 40 percent of annual global emissions. As the world needs 13,000 buildings a day to keep up with the ongoing demand due to rapid urbanization and population growth, some of these buildings are also inevitably getting old and are in need of replacement. When a building […]
These Are The World’s Most Famous Fictional Doors
Nobody knows who invented doors, but the oldest ones appear in Egyptian tomb paintings from 4,000 years ago, where they signified a passage to the afterlife. In many of the world’s mythological stories, most beloved fairytales, and in popular culture, doors represent openings, journeys, transformations, opportunities, and sometimes, obstacles and mystery. As they’re steeped in cultural and symbolic […]
How Vienna Became the World’s Most Livable City
In 2022, Vienna grabbed the top spot in the Global Livability Index published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). For this picture-perfect Central European city famous for its legacy in classical music, baroque architecture, and coffeehouse culture, the top ranking didn’t come as a surprise. “Stability and good infrastructure are the city’s main charms for its […]
How Green Building Technologies Are Transforming Home Construction
Our built environment generates about 40 percent of the global carbon emissions. Almost a quarter of this comes from operational emissions, such as the energy needed to heat, cool, and run our buildings, while the remaining quarter is from materials and construction. Cement, the most ubiquitous material used in most modern buildings, is responsible for a total […]
How Cities Can Fight Cybercrime
As our societies are embracing Industry 4.0, everything is getting digitized and automated. It’s now possible to perform an increasing number of daily activities — anything from our jobs, education, and even many of our hobbies — online. Unfortunately, the same goes for criminals: Cybercrime is on the rise, and it’s expected to cost the world USD […]
