Although this visualization of the accumulation of human-made mass on Earth is not specifically related to cities, one has to recognize that the 549 gigatons of concrete, 65 gigatons of asphalt, the 92 gigatons of bricks, and the 386 gigatons of aggregates are evidently concentrated in large part in cities.

Care and maintenance have been part of many discussions over the last few years, and for good reason. During the pandemic, many realized the importance of essential workers, many of which work in one form of care or another. Even before that, personal care and personal time were gaining importance for a growing number of people, and even though more often than not we refer to them as annoyances or “construction,” what are street work, building renovations, and new infrastructure but maintenance of cities and homes? So it’s no surprise that the concept of care as a driver for city planning is already gaining traction.

If you’re looking for some hope and inspiration, people working on big problems, and new ways of living more sustainably, clicking through to the One Army website and digging through should deliver on all of that.

It’s very well known scientifically, and increasing more so across city governance and citizens, that the presence of more nature in cities offers many benefits. Tree cover moderates heat islands and extreme heat, offers psychological benefits, and of course parks and urban forests are essential for socializing and cultural events.

It’s probably not very common to find an article about a library on a nature magazine’s site but this is about a quite unusual combination. The largest oil spill in US history was in the Greenpoint neighbourhood of Brooklyn, NYC, and happened in the mid-19th century. 140 years, a lawsuit, and one community environmental fund later, the Greenpoint Library re-opened following a very green and thoughtful renovation.