The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a nonprofit research and education organization with over 45,000 members worldwide.

A French mobility company called Mobilize has designed a new type of vehicle from scratch. Two, actually: The Duo, an enclosed two-seater electric quadricycle, and its sibling the Bento, which ditches the back seat for a large storage box.

Both vehicles were meant to be strong urban design statements, and to not draw on outdated references. "The Duo's greatest strength is its unique design," says Jean-Philippe Salar, Mobilize's Design Director. "What we wanted for this vehicle was to avoid imitating a car. It's in effect a little spaceship, a little lunar capsule on 4 wheels."

Not being a car, the diminutive Duo can be driven by folks as young as 14 in France.

The tandem seating arrangement, rather than side-by-side, is to make the vehicle as narrow as possible, the better to slip through traffic.

The gullwing doors allow ingress and egress even in tight spaces.

The charging cable sits in a dedicated compartment in the vehicle's nose. And, surprisingly, the vehicle features an airbag for safety.

The company refers to the single-seater Bento as a micro utility vehicle; it boasts a cargo box on the back that can swallow nearly a cubic meter.

The Bento requires a proper driver's license, as its more powerful electric motor can top out at 80 km/h (50 mph). It's targeted at last-mile delivery services and tradespeople who travel with tools.

Intriguingly, the dashboard of both vehicle was inspired by an icon of 1980s urban culture: The boombox. "The design of Duo et Bento, both on the outside and inside – with its dashboard that refers to boomboxes – deliberately goes against the grain of classic automotive language," says Salar. The designers also decided not to include a screen, reckoning that most people are already carrying one these days.

Both vehicles require half the space to park as a car.

The construction of the vehicles is decidedly un-car-like: "It's based on a metal birdcage structure to which we simply glue plastic panels," says Benoit Abadie, Mobilize's Director of Engineering. "We have around 300 parts in Duo, that's 5 times less than in a normal car, which has around 1,500."

Mobilize is a subsidiary of Renault, and both vehicles are manufactured at Renault's factory in Tangiers. "It's an ISO 14001 plant that's working towards carbon neutrality," says Wafa Boujguenna, the company's Industrial Project Manager. "Duo and Bento are eco-designed vehicles, made from 40% recycled materials, battery included, and are 95% recyclable, including the battery."

The vehicles will be sold in France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. No word on if these will come to the U.S.

There's a great interview with the design team below, explaining what they were going for:

There was a street that we walked down on our recent vacation in Amsterdam that had amazing and varied ‘urban art’ along it.  I couldn’t help but take a few photos!

By Susan Bales Courtesy of Children & Nature Network Some years ago, I worked as a “nature lady” at a Y camp in the San Bernardino Mountains above Los Angeles. Urban kids who had no experience in nature came to … Continue reading →

How does an urban environment influence its rainfall? This is what a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences hopes to

How does an urban environment influence its rainfall? This is what a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences hopes to

In 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly declared that China's poverty alleviation battle has achieved a comprehensive victory. However, there is still a long way to go to solve the problem of unbalanced and insufficient development, narrow the development gap between urban and rural areas, and achieve comprehensive human development and common prosperity for all people.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China’s economicdevelopment has entered a new stage. Under the circumstances, the goal of “Common Prosperity” has attracted more and more attention over the past several years. China’s long-term implementation of urban-biased policies led to a huge gap between urban and rural areas for a long time and hindered the realization of common prosperity.

World Cities Day 2024: Building more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient urban food systems

IFPRI researchers on urbanization.

The post World Cities Day 2024: Building more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient urban food systems appeared first on IFPRI.

The Socio-Economic Impact of Armed Conflict on Sudanese Urban Households

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has been concentrated in cities, with major impacts on urban households. Large numbers of families are displaced, employment is down dramatically, and most children are unable to go to school. A comprehensive survey conducted earlier this year by IFPRI’ Sudan Strategy Support Program and the United Nations Development Programme provides […]

The post The Socio-Economic Impact of Armed Conflict on Sudanese Urban Households appeared first on IFPRI.

Global crisis: 1.7 billion people in urban and peri-urban areas face food insecurity

New UN report highlights urgent need to strengthen urban and peri-urban food systems for global food security and nutrition.

The post Global crisis: 1.7 billion people in urban and peri-urban areas face food insecurity appeared first on IFPRI.

On March 7, Dana Cuff will discuss architecture’s ability to design more equitable futures at UCLA’s Faculty Research Lecture.

California chapparal fire burns into urban Ventura County, showing need for strategies beyond fighting ‘forest’ fires.

The planning profession is rooted in principles that puts business ahead of people. Some people are beginning to push back.

In addition to the known phenomena of lightning and switching, numerous new sources, in particular power converters, can cause disturbance in installations. This disturbance, which is generated by the installation itself or carried by the system from external sources or... Read more

The post Six less known phenomena that can cause disturbance in electrical installations appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

Associate Professor of Humanities Winston Chow from SMU’s School of Social Sciences has researched on the areas of urban vulnerability to climate change; sustainability in urban climatology; and perceptions of environmental and climate change in tourism. In recent years, he has published papers on the impact of weather extremes on urban resilience to hydro-climate hazards and trans-boundary variations of urban drought vulnerability and its impact on water resource management in Singapore and Johor, Malaysia. In this podcast, Associate Professor Chow will discuss the continued economic growth of a city by adopting sustainable urban development measures.

Emission levels and test methods for wireline telecommunication networks to minimize electromagnetic disturbance of radio services

Immunity of home network devices to electromagnetic disturbances

U4SSC deliverables - Implementing SDG 11 by connecting sustainability policies and urban planning practices through ICT's

U4SSC - Urban Mobility - Dubai: Mobile solutions for ordering taxis and other transportation services, 'E-hailing'

U4SSC - Participatory Urban Planning - Melbourne: Australia place-making case

The City of Austin, Texas, said it will share data with Google on the solar reflectivity of roofs to identify which neighborhoods would benefit most from 'cool roofs,' aiming to reduce heat in homes and inform future climate policies. 

La presidenta ejecutiva del 'holding' familiar repasa el pasado, presente y futuro de una de las firmas más emblemáticas del País Vasco, de la crisis del ladrillo al salto generacional que la llevó a dirigir el grupo tras el asesinato de su padre a manos de ETA Leer

Trees are one way to cool down a city. Architects in ancient Rome also designed buildings with porticos for shade and air flow.

Location: Main Media Collection - Video record 42435 DVD

Location: Electronic Resource- 

Location: Engineering Library- TD665.P46 2016

1988: USA, California, San Francisco: The Ashurbanipal Monument

Small settlements scattered throughout the region show signs of trade, fortification.

In August, more than 30,000 Democrats who support making it easier to build housing gathered online for a "YIMBYs For Harris" Zoom fundraising call…

It's a scary time of year, but not because of Halloween…

Groundbreaking partnership with HS2 Ltd to design new infrastructure and connectivity.

Go ahead for next phase of Port Loop.

Tree Town is looking to find new and productive ways to avoid wasting wood. The City of Ann Arbor is partnering with the company “Urban Ashes” to repurpose storm-damaged and diseased trees. We often discuss the ecological benefits of planting and maintaining trees but rarely look at the environmental impact wood can have once it’s down. Urban Ashes CEO Paul Hickman joined WEMU's David Fair to look at the partnership, how it will work and the benefits it can provide.

El director ejecutivo de la Federación Nacional de Municipios (Fedemunicipios), Gilberto Toro, compartió los programas que se articularán en las diferentes regiones del país para preservar la seguridad y el medio ambiente

En Caracol Radio estuvo Monseñor Rubén Darío Jaramillo, obispo de Buenaventura.

Cookie-cutter condos, glass business towers, minimal green space — there's clear evidence that many urban spaces have negative impacts on our mental health. But does it have to be that way?

Do you take pleasure in converting old doors into coffee tables or old coffee tables into pallets? Do you spend a lot of time carefully crafting email responses? Does grabbing a beer or two at the local Chili's after a Sunday at Home Depot sound appealing to you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might get a kick out of these neat memes by novelty memelord @middleclassfancy. We're big fans of this hilarious account and love to share these tongue-in-cheek gems every chance we get.

Fire chiefs from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States gathered in Quincy, Massachusetts at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Urban Fire Forum (UFF) to listen to first-hand accounts of some of the biggest emergency response incidents over the past 15 months, including hurricane response in Texas and Florida, the Grenfell Tower fire in London, and the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando.

The post 12 Tips for Stunning Urban Landscape Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Leanne Cole.

Urban landscape photography is all about taking the chaotic complexity of a city and turning it into well-ordered, beautiful compositions. But if you’re just a beginner – or even if you’re a more experienced city shooter – you may struggle to get solid results. After all, cities are often messy, unstructured, and full of movement; […]

The post 12 Tips for Stunning Urban Landscape Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Leanne Cole.

Los Angeles, often hailed as the entertainment capital of the world, is not only a hub for the film and music industries but also a fascinating canvas of urban design. The city's architectural landscape reflects a rich tapestry woven with threads of history, culture, and innovation. As one navigates the vast expanse of Los Angeles, it becomes apparent that the city's design is a dynamic fusion of tradition and modernity.[...]

Towards just transition in Africa: Green financing for urban energy solutions and job creation 9 June 2022 — 7:30AM TO 11:00AM Anonymous (not verified) 18 May 2022 Nairobi and online

This event explores the major openings and potential impediments to the development of a just transition policy in Africa.

Global climate policies towards a ‘just transition’ under the Paris Agreement should also align with and support African states’ national sustainable development priorities. In particular, the need for decent and fair job creation and the establishment of sufficient, resilient and sustainable power supply, accessible to all, and efficient energy use.

Achieving green growth requires innovative and more accessible financing models, especially as wealthy nations’ financial pledges have fallen short. Ahead of the ‘African COP27’ set to take place in Egypt in November 2022, there is a need for transformational strategic thinking and context-specific action from African governments, civil society, businesses and financiers in their green financing demands and national implementation plans.

Sustainable urban energy solutions represent a critical zone of opportunity for the development of new and more reliable green finance pathways. Africa’s rapidly expanding cities present a significant economic opportunity and source of growth. However, urban centres are also where income and energy inequalities are at their starkest. The acceleration of sustainable energy generation and use could have a transformative impact on SMEs and livelihoods across value chains.

At this event, participants will discuss the major openings and potential impediments to the development of a credible ‘just transition’ policy in Africa towards net zero goals, with a particular focus on establishing and enhancing links between green financing innovation, employment creation, sustainable power supply and generation, and sustainable energy usage and consumption in an urban environment.

This event is held in partnership with the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA). It is part of a series on Towards Just Transition: Connecting Green Financing and Sustainable Job Creation in Africa, supported by the Chatham House Sustainability Accelerator.

This event will be held in English and French with simultaneous interpretation.

One Montana nonprofit tries to build connections between rural and urban students with exchange program.