Laws take time to catch up with technological changes. And, worse, lawmakers are usually abysmal at predicting technological innovation and, more importantly, how that innovation is going to affect society. An event related to this seems to be unfolding here in Bogota in real-time. Because the country wanted to be prepared, … [continued]
… and hydrogen buses get another chance in the meantime.
Welcome to China × Cleantech — January 2021 edition. Our China x Cleantech series covers top cleantech stories in China each month. Happy 牛 Year! I hope your Spring festival went well, Happy 牛 (NIU) Year. EV Sales China — 9.4% Plugin Vehicle Share In Another Record Month On the 28th of … [continued]
We recently reported that a stunning 470 BYD electric buses were headed to Bogotá, Colombia. That was apparently the warmup act. BYD has now been selected to provide the city with 1,002 more electric buses. This comes from winning an open tender the city put out.
Electric bus adoption shows no signs of slowing down. We regularly share stories of transit authorities buying another batch of electric buses, and it’s happening all over the world. Most recently, we got some big orders. Berlin, Germany, added 90 electric buses and Bogota, Colombia, added 470.
As the world works to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 3.9 billion people are under full or partial lockdown orders, as of mid-April. Cities have curtailed many public transit operations because of declining ridership and health concerns.
The COVID-19 pandemic is laying bare two unavoidable facts about our new reality: we are more interconnected than ever, and cities are at the front lines of this crisis and will be at the front lines of any similarly globalized crisis in the future.
Urban areas that are designed to shape and enable new mobility — by rethinking streets, parking, and more — can lower emissions, enhance health, and improve equity. Experimentation is key to best realize the potential of new mobility while avoiding negative and unintended consequences. Rocky Mountain Institute’s (RMI’s) recent report, Cities Designed to Shape and Enable New Mobility, describes the concept of MOD Cities — living test sites where local municipal governments, developers, financiers, vehicle manufacturers, mobility service providers, and urban designers and architects actively collaborate to co-innovate at the nexus of urban design, vehicles, and new mobility services. MOD Cities would put people first and be seamlessly integrated with the communities and urban fabric at their edges.
Thirty-six people died in traffic crashes in Washington, D.C., last year, a 20% increase from 2017. Eight people, six of whom were walking or biking, have already been killed this year, prompting a major public rally just two weeks ago. Residents are angry that the city isn’t succeeding in curbing road deaths, despite the fact that Mayor Muriel Bowser committed to end traffic fatalities entirely by 2024.
William McDonough + Partners is announcing its latest project on September 6, and I wanted to share the news with you before the release goes out. The new 20,000 sq. meter building for Universidad EAN in Bogota, Colombia will be McDonough’s first signature building in Latin America based on Cradle on Cradle design thinking.
