Urbanization News

April 26, 2024

Top Headlines

Climate Change Could Become the Main Driver of Biodiversity Decline by Mid-Century

Apr. 25, 2024 — Global biodiversity has declined between 2% and 11% during the 20th century due to land-use change alone, according to a large multi-model study. Projections show climate change could become the main ...

One Third of China's Urban Population at Risk of City Sinking, New Satellite Data Shows

Apr. 18, 2024 — Land subsidence is overlooked as a hazard in cities, according to new research. Scientists used satellite data that accurately and consistently maps land movement across ...

With the Planet Facing a 'Polycrisis', Biodiversity Researchers Uncover Major Knowledge Gaps

Apr. 4, 2024 — Connecting the study of infectious disease spread, biodiversity loss and climate change could offer win-win-win solutions for planetary health, but a new analysis has uncovered almost no research ...

Pinging Pipes Could Help to Identify Lead Water Lines Without Excavation

Mar. 7, 2024 — A recent study showed that it is possible to discern the composition of a buried pipe by striking an accessible portion of it and monitoring the sound waves that reach the surface. This method could help water utility companies verify the location ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:58pm EDT

Marginalized Communities Developed 'Disaster Subculture' When Living Through Extreme Climate Events

Apr. 23, 2024 — An assistant professor conducted a study in which he lived among one of the poorest, most marginalized communities in Seoul, South Korea. In the ...

Scientists Develop Framework to Measure Plastic Emissions and Bolster U.N. Efforts to Reduce Pollution

Apr. 16, 2024 — Scientists have developed a framework for measuring plastic emissions akin to the global standard for measuring greenhouse gas emissions. The ...

Florida Wildlife Corridor Eases Worst Impacts of Climate Change

Apr. 16, 2024 — Florida is projected to lose 3.5 million acres of land to development by 2070. A new study highlights how Florida can buffer itself against both climate change and population pressures by conserving ...

GeoAI Technologies for Sustainable Urban Development

Apr. 15, 2024 — From heatwaves to pandemic diseases, the urban environments of the world face numerous challenges. Researchers are harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) and informatics to address emerging concerns ...

Research Examines Tweets During Hurricane María to Analyze Social Media Use During Disasters

Apr. 9, 2024 — Understanding how social media is used during a disaster can help with disaster preparedness and recovery for future ...

North American Cities May See a Major Species Turnover by the End of the Century

Mar. 27, 2024 — Climate change may dramatically affect the animal species observed in North American cities, according to a new ...

Research Identifies Characteristics of Cities That Would Support Young People's Mental Health

Mar. 25, 2024 — As cities around the world continue to draw young people for work, education, and social opportunities, a new study identifies characteristics that ...

Sinking Land Increases Risk for Thousands of Coastal Residents by 2050

Mar. 6, 2024 — A new study provides a new comprehensive look at the potential for flooding in a combined 32 cities along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts. It predicts as many as 500,000 people will be ...

How Climate Change Risks Increase at a National Scale as the Level of Global Warming Increases

Feb. 29, 2024 — Researchers have quantified how climate change risks to human and natural systems increase at a national scale as the level of global warming ...

What Will It Take for China to Reach Carbon Neutrality by 2060?

Feb. 26, 2024 — To become carbon neutral by 2060, China will have to build eight to 10 times more wind and solar power installations than existed in 2022, according to a new study. Reaching carbon neutrality will ...

U.S. Building Footprints Could Help Identify Neighborhood Sociodemographic Traits

Apr. 10, 2024 — An analysis of building footprints in major U.S. metropolitan areas identifies five different neighborhood types that vary in footprint size, shape, and placement, and which are statistically ...

Rural and Minority Dementia Patients Face Disparities in Access to Neurologists

Mar. 20, 2024 — A study of nearly 95,000 Washington state residents found that people living outside of urban areas as well as Native American and Hispanic people face longer travel distances to be seen by ...

Highways Through Historically Redlined Areas Likely Cause Air Pollution Disparities Today

Feb. 21, 2024 — As part of the New Deal, several governmental programs were created to expand homeownership through mortgages and loans. However, neighborhoods with primarily Black or immigrant communities often ...

How Is Deforested Land in Africa Used?

Feb. 15, 2024 — Africa's forested areas -- an estimated 14 % of the global forest area -- are continuing to decline at an increasing rate -- mostly because of human activities to convert forest land for ...

Determining Who Gets Blamed When Cars Hit Pedestrians

Feb. 13, 2024 — A new study examines the circumstances behind who is found at fault when cars hit pedestrians in an urban area. Results showed that the environment where the crash took place -- especially the types ...

Replacing Animal-Based Foods With Alternative Proteins Would Unlock Land for Carbon Removal

Feb. 7, 2024 — Researchers report that replacing 50% of animal products with alternative proteins by 2050 could free up enough agricultural land to generate renewable energy equivalent in volume to today's ...

Achieving Sustainable Urban Growth on a Global Scale

Jan. 26, 2024 — An international group of leading scientists call for an urgent change in the governance of urban expansion as the world's cities continue to grow at unprecedented ...

West Nile Virus Emergence and Spread in Europe Found to Be Positively Associated With Agricultural Activities

Jan. 26, 2024 — The spread of West Nile virus in Europe is strongly linked to agricultural activities, urbanization, and bird migration, according to new ...

Risk of Death During Heatwaves in Brazil Linked to Socioeconomic Factors

Jan. 24, 2024 — A new study suggests that heatwaves are exacerbating socioeconomic inequalities in Brazil, with people who are female, elderly, Black, Brown, or who have lower educational levels potentially facing ...

Delhi Smog: India's Cities Must Look Beyond Their Limits to Clean Up Air Pollution

Jan. 23, 2024 — Delhi needs the help of its rural neighbors to finally beat its killer smog problem, concludes a recent ...

Food from Urban Agriculture Has Carbon Footprint 6 Times Larger Than Conventional Produce, Study Shows

Jan. 22, 2024 — A new study finds that fruits and vegetables grown in urban farms and gardens have a carbon footprint that is, on average, six times greater than conventionally grown ...

Scientists, Farmers and Managers Work Together to Avoid the Decline of the Little Bustard, an Endangered Steppe Bird

Jan. 18, 2024 — The collaboration between scientists, farmers and managers is crucial to improve the protection of the little bustard, an endangered steppe-land bird in Spain due to human activity. The reduction of ...

Are Bugs Bugging Humans or the Other Way Around? Study Reveals a Few Surprises

Jan. 16, 2024 — Research has determined key factors that impact biodiversity among spiders and insects in urban areas. The response of specific groups varied significantly, surprising the researchers. The study ...

Reflective Materials and Irrigated Trees: Study Shows How to Cool One of the World's Hottest Cities by 4.5°C

Jan. 12, 2024 — A combination of cooling technologies and techniques could reduce the temperature and energy needs of Riyadh, Saudi ...

Ancient Cities Provide Key Datasets for Urban Planning, Policy and Predictions in the Anthropocene

Jan. 11, 2024 — A new study shows how state-of-the-art methods and perspectives from archaeology, history, and palaeoecology are shedding new light on 5,500 years of urban ...

Only 18% of the Global Land Area That Is Needed for Human Well-Being and Biodiversity Is Currently Protected

Jan. 10, 2024 — An international group of researchers finds that conserving about half of global land area could maintain nearly all of nature's contributions to people and still meet biodiversity targets for ...

Better Mental, Physical Health in Older People Tied to Living Near Nature

Jan. 4, 2024 — Even small differences in the availability of urban green and blue spaces may be associated with better mental and physical health in older adults, according to a new study. The study's findings ...

In Coastal Communities, Sea Level Rise May Leave Some Isolated

Dec. 29, 2023 — Amid the threat of dramatic sea level rise, coastal communities face unprecedented dangers, but a new study reveals that as flooding intensifies, disadvantaged populations will be the ones to ...

How Big Events Can Disrupt Public Transit Over an Entire City

Dec. 19, 2023 — New technology has allowed scientists to see how a major sporting event can disrupt public transportation in an entire city for hours before and after the ...

How Can Europe Restore Its Nature?

Dec. 15, 2023 — Early 2024, the European Parliament will take a final vote on the 'Nature Restoration Law' (NRL), a globally unique but hotly debated regulation that aims to halt and reverse biodiversity ...