Author: Natasha Olsen | ArchDaily

Green spaces help alleviate loneliness in cities

Natasha Olsen — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 05:27:00 +0000

More and more people are concentrating in major urban centers. While cities are full of people and possibilities, this is far from making them welcoming environments. Loneliness and anxiety are common in the fast-paced life of the "concrete jungle," and nature may hold the key to alleviating these feelings.

Floating village in Amsterdam features 46 sustainable homes

Natasha Olsen — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 05:24:00 +0000

As the global population increasingly concentrates in urban centers, land in major cities is becoming progressively more expensive. Meanwhile, rising sea levels driven by climate change threaten the housing of millions worldwide—it is estimated that 800 million people will be at risk by 2050.

Riverside communities along the Rio Negro receive solar lighting

Natasha Olsen — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 05:08:00 +0000

Bringing lighting to those in need using solar energy and affordable materials. This is the mission of the NGO Litro de Luz, which, during a three-day campaign, positively impacted the quality of life of 173 families from riverside communities living along the banks of the Rio Negro in the Amazon.

Australian researchers use rubber from old tires to produce concrete

Natasha Olsen — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 04:49:00 +0000

Rubber from discarded tires can replace 100% of conventional aggregates used in manufacturing concrete. This is what engineers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, have discovered. The concrete made with the material meets building codes and promises to boost the circular economy.

10 Criteria for Evaluating a Green City

Natasha Olsen — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:52:00 +0000

A UN survey revealed that in 2018, approximately 55% of the world's population lived in cities. This figure is projected to reach 60% by 2030. If urban centers are to become home to so many, evaluating these spaces and ensuring quality of life is essential – a challenge when considering population density and the impact of such large numbers.

Mexican transforms invasive seaweed into sustainable bricks

Natasha Olsen — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:42:00 +0000

Paradise beaches can quickly lose their appeal for tourists when invaded by sargassum, a brown algae of the genus *Sargassum C. Agardh* distributed across tropical and subtropical oceans. In Mexico's Riviera Maya, this seaweed was once considered a major problem. However, Omar de Jesús Vazquez Sánchez saw it as a raw material for homebuilding—transforming sargassum into sustainable bricks.

Study shows that the weight of buildings is sinking New York

Natasha Olsen — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:35:00 +0000

Researchers from the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island have published a study showing that New York City is sinking under the weight of its countless, massive buildings. The skyscraper density of the Big Apple is increasing the risk of flooding in the city.

Tower uses functional design to improve air quality in polluted cities

Natasha Olsen — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:26:00 +0000

Architects Amit and Britta Knobel Gupta moved from London, England, to New Delhi, India, and confronted a severe problem: air pollution unlike anything they had ever seen. To help make the air more breathable and the city more livable, the couple developed a tower designed to purify the air through design. “Our main business is architecture; we didn't want to get into air purification,” Amit said. “But the pollution here was simply unacceptable. It’s very bad.”

Norman Foster Foundation and Holcim develop modular shelters for the well-being of refugees

Natasha Olsen — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:24:00 +0000

Many people are in need of shelter. War, extreme weather events, and famine... Unfortunately, these crises are frequent and lead to large-scale migration. Welcoming individuals in extremely vulnerable situations is a challenge. Ensuring comfort, well-being, and dignity is a humanitarian imperative. Today, there are around 103 million displaced people worldwide, and climate change could significantly increase this number.

London becomes the world's largest ultra-low emission zone

Natasha Olsen — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:14:00 +0000

London is one of the world's great metropolises and faces a challenge common to urban centers: air pollution caused by fossil fuel vehicles. To combat this issue, the city established Low Emission Zones in 2008, fining large vehicles operating with pollutant emissions above established limits.

Portugal spends six days using 100% clean energy

Natasha Olsen — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 23:02:00 +0000

Between October 31 and November 6, 2023, Portugal produced more than enough renewable energy to meet the entire country's demand. While fossil fuel plants were still operational, the clean energy generated was more than sufficient to supply the grid. Consequently, consumer electricity rates dropped drastically.