urbanism

According to a modelling study published in Nature Cities, the frequency of some types of fires in cities is expected to increase in the coming decades as a result of climate change. This increase would be seen in vehicle fires and in those that occur outdoors. The conclusions are based on data from more than 2,800 cities in 20 countries and could be useful for future urban planning and emergency response strategies.

US researchers have estimated that replacing conventional building materials in new infrastructure with CO₂ capturing alternatives - such as mixing carbon aggregates into concrete or using bio-based materials in bricks - could store billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. According to the study, published in the journal Science, the move could help meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

The interface between wildland and urban areas - areas that are at risk of devastating fires - has grown by 35.6 per cent between 2000 and 2020, says a study based on satellite data. The increase has accelerated since 2010 due to growing urbanisation, reaching 1.93 million square kilometres worldwide, adds the study published in Science Advances.

In Valencian municipalities such as Chiva, buildings have collapsed, and in Paiporta there have been evacuations due to the risk of collapse following the passage of the DANA on Tuesday 29 October. What risks do the buildings that withstood the flood present? What measures should be taken in the short, medium and long term? 

A new web-based tool analyzes major cities like Tokyo, Paris, Atlanta or Barcelona to see how close they are to the 15-minute city concept, where residents take less than those minutes to access essential services by foot, bike, or public transport. According to the study, published in Nature Cities, few cities fit this concept. The tool, which is freely accessible and uses data from 10,000 cities sourced from the open-source packages GeoPandas and OpenStreetMap, could be useful for developing action plans and estimating how viable it is to transform certain cities to follow this model.

More than 60 % of the world's cities receive more precipitation than the rural areas around them, according to a study published in PNAS. The paper cites southern European cities such as Milan and Barcelona as examples of these ‘notable anomalies’, but adds that this phenomenon is not common in central and northern Europe. The research team analysed satellite and radar data from more than 1,000 cities around the world between 2001 and 2020. 

Coastal cities around the world appear to be adapting slowly to the effects of climate change and are relying on past and present experiences rather than projections of future risks, according to a systematic review published in Nature Cities.

A study published in the journal PLOS ONE, which includes data from over 3,000 Spanish adolescents and children, has shown that those living in more walkable areas report spending more minutes per day engaging in active transportation compared to those from less walkable neighborhoods. Along those lines, the lowest average minutes spent playing outdoors are observed among participants from neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic status and less walkability. The research is part of the PASOS study, coordinated by the Gasol Foundation.

Research involving more than 3,000 adolescents and children from all Spanish autonomous communities concludes that those living in less walkable neighbourhoods with lower socioeconomic status walk less and engage in less physical activity at weekends than those living in more walkable areas with higher socioeconomic status. The paper, published in the journal PLOS ONE and part of the PASOS study, was presented by two of its authors at a briefing organised by SMC Spain. 

Access to safe public spaces to meet, employment, education and public health are some of the main measures recommended to make cities more friendly to the mental health of young people and adolescents. The analysis, based on surveys of 518 people in several countries, is published in the journal Nature and is intended to serve as a guide for urban planning policies that reduce inequalities and take into account the needs of young people.