#Urban Planning10

23 Jul 2026

Data centers and local benefits

New large data centers are spreading across the United States. A Georgia Tech study finds modest but measurable local gains in jobs, wages and business activity, concentrated in metropolitan areas; costs and electricity effects also matter.

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Photo by Fré Sonneveld, Unsplash

23 Jun 2026

How local planning can raise housing costs

Research in the journal Urban Governance argues that municipal approval systems affect what developers build and how much housing costs. Streamlining local planning could allow more varied and affordable housing.

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26 May 2026

Study: city shape and land use affect traffic

An international study of 30 major cities shows that traffic congestion depends on more than road capacity. Researchers used vehicle movement data and city maps to link road networks, land use and congestion patterns.

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28 Apr 2026

Roads, isolation and more schizophrenia hospital visits

A study in New York City found that neighborhoods isolated by roads and traffic had higher rates of schizophrenia-related hospital visits. The link was independent of traffic-caused air pollution and may reflect social and planning factors.

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5 Apr 2026

Bunia urban trees store carbon, study finds

A study of Bunias urban trees measured how much carbon they store. Researchers inventoried 2,311 trees and estimated total carbon, average storage per tree, species roles, and possible carbon-market value for city trees.

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31 Mar 2026

City living linked to lower stroke risk

A US study followed over 25,000 adults and found a 2.5% lower risk of a first-time stroke in more developed areas. Researchers used satellite data but did not test which city features cause the effect.

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7 Oct 2025

Low-cost design to cut indoor heat in Latin American cities

A study in Energy and Buildings finds simple, low-cost design choices can reduce indoor heat in Latin American cities. Researchers used simulations in five cities and propose passive measures, training and a free digital design tool.

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29 Sept 2025

Yu Kongjian, pioneer of sponge cities, dies in Brazil plane crash

Yu Kongjian, 62, died in a plane crash in the Pantanal, Brazil, on September 23, 2025. Three others also died; they were making a documentary about sponge cities and the cause is under investigation.

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22 Sept 2025

Sponge city ideas to reduce urban flooding in Asia

Heavy rains in March 2025 caused severe floods in Jakarta and other Asian cities. The Chinese “sponge city” approach—absorbing and storing rainwater—has local successes but faces limits and challenges for wider use.

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5 Mar 2025

Alexandria’s coastal buildings at rising risk

A study in the journal Earth Future finds many buildings in Alexandria have collapsed in recent decades. Researchers link the damage to coastal erosion and rising sea levels and call for nature-based and technical defences.

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