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Information Technology Trend Watching

Internet in Brazil: The number of cities that offer Wi-Fi reaches 26%

Of the 5,570 Brazilian municipalities, 1,457 provided wi-fi through public networks in 2014. Despite the leap from 2012, the cities that provide this type of access still account for only 26.2% of the total.

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Information Technology Trend Watching

Information Technology in Brazil: app to reports urban problems is voted best in the world

Colab, a Brazilian application that helps report urban problems, was elected on world’s best by the New Cities Foundation at an event in Sao Paulo. Other finalists included traffic BuzzJourney (Israel) and PublicStuff (United States). These apps participated prize App My City, urban award for best application in the world (those of us trying to unlock the big cities). Colab received $ 5000 in cash […]

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Information Technology Trend Watching

Information Technology in Brazil: public management collaboration app nominated for international award

A Brazillian startup took to the social networking approach to collect testimonies from residents about the precariousness of public facilities such as sidewalks and streets, in order to connect people to public management. The buzz generated around the site (which has already caught the attention of the city of Recife, hometown of the creators) led Colab to the final of the second edition of My City App, app award for best city in the world (those of us trying to unlock big cities) […]

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Consumer Behavior Economics Trend Watching

Watch Carolyn Steel’s “How food shapes our cities” talk at TED

Every day, in a city the size of London, 30 million meals are served. But where does all the food come from? Architect Carolyn Steel discusses the daily miracle of feeding a city, and shows how ancient food routes shaped the modern world […]

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Design Economics Trend Watching

Watch James Howard Kunstler dissects suburbia at TED

In James Howard Kunstler’s view, public spaces should be inspired centers of civic life and the physical manifestation of the common good. Instead, he argues, what we have in America is a nation of places not worth caring about […]

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China Economics Trend Watching

Architecture & Urban Planning in China: Urbanization to drive growth

China’s urbanization will provide “sustainable investment” and become a key factor in bolstering the country’s growth during the coming five years […]

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China Economics Trend Watching

Architecture & Urban Planning in China: Average building lasts only 20 years

More than half of China’s existing residential structures will be demolished and rebuilt in the coming 20 years, according to a senior researcher from the Chinese Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, a claim that has sparked fresh questions about the short lifespan of Chinese buildings […]

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China Design Economics Readings Trend Watching

Architecture & Urban Planning in China: private fund investment to support urban development

China’s urban development looks to get further support from the private sector. An Chinese Government official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planning agency, says the government encourages the use of private capital in developing China’s urban areas […]

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China Trend Watching

Architecture & Urban Planning in China: the top 10 fast-developing cities in 2009

The annual selection of China’s top 10 fast-developing cities was held by the China International Urbanization Development Strategy Research Committee to illustrate the rate of China’s urbanization […]

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China Economics Trend Watching

China, Technology, Development and the Environment: Photographer Lu Guang’s “Pollution in China”

To give us some perspective on the massive social and economic impact of pollution throughout China, Shanghaiist turned to photographer Lu Guang’s “Pollution in China” project. Lu won this year’s $30,000 W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography from the Asia Society in New York. His project documents families, farmers, industrial districts, rivers, the countryside, cancer patients, children; anyone and everything affected by pollution across China […]