Topic description and stories

Over half the world’s population lives in urban areas. The quality of life in future cities depends on the innovations we put in place today.

How to build a healthier city

13 Jun 2016

Life in towns and cities can grind you down, but putting health and wellbeing at the centre of new housing and infrastructure developments could make...

Read more

Going green: why don't we all do it?

10 Jun 2016

From wind turbines and solar photovoltaics to grey water recycling and electric vehicles, technology is making it ever easier for us to be green –...

Read more
Blueprint

Blueprint for success: what makes a city thrive?

07 Jun 2016

Why is Milton Keynes one of the most successful cities in the UK, and Dundee one of the least? What gives Leeds its economic edge over Liverpool? How...

Read more

Artist's interpretation of existing (left) and adapted (right) responses to flooding

Waterworld: can we learn to live with flooding?

03 Jun 2016

Flash floods, burst riverbanks, overflowing drains, contaminants leaching into waterways: some of the disruptive, damaging and hazardous consequences...

Read more

Innovating for the future of cities

01 Jun 2016

Today, we commence a month-long focus on the future of cities. To begin, Doug Crawford-Brown, Robert Mair and Koen Steemers describe the challenges...

Read more
Jogging on a bright November morning (cropped)

Walking and cycling good for health even in cities with higher levels of air pollution

05 May 2016

The health benefits of walking and cycling outweigh the negative effects on health of air pollution, even in cities with high levels of air pollution...

Read more

Gentrification in Progress

Predicting gentrification through social networking data

13 Apr 2016

Data from location-based social networks may be able to predict when a neighbourhood will go through the process of gentrification, by identifying...

Read more

Opinion: Here’s how tweets and check-ins can be used to spot early signs of gentrification

12 Apr 2016

Desislava Hristova (Computer Laboratory) discusses how data from location-based social networks can be used to predict when a neighbourhood will go...

Read more
Conceptual image of how the building would look as viewed from the River Thames

Timber skyscrapers could transform London’s skyline

08 Apr 2016

London’s first timber skyscraper could be a step closer to reality this week after researchers presented Mayor of London Boris Johnson with...

Read more

Funding boost for infrastructure research at Cambridge

30 Nov 2015

Two new funding initiatives at the University of Cambridge will support the UK’s infrastructure and cities.

Read more
Skyline - Hong Kong, China

New partnerships for ‘low carbon cities’ in the UK and China

23 Oct 2015

Researchers from UK and Chinese universities, including the University of Cambridge, are collaborating on four new projects to work towards achieving...

Read more
Hong Kong Skyline (cropped)

Cities at risk

07 Sep 2015

New model says world cities face expected losses of $4.6 trillion in economic output over the next decade as a result of natural or man-made...

Read more

Pages