Raze the roof for green.

I’ll let you in on one of my secret eco-dreams: to tear down dilapidated buildings and allow nature to recover the land. As it turns out, this just might be a new municipal strategy in combating urban blight.

The first site of this radical experiment? Flint, Michigan: a sprawling and impoverished, underpopulated city. At 34 square miles, Flint requires a lot of maintenance and upkeep (think: garbage trucks, road repair, electricity lines).

So, how to maintain a city’s integrity without the taxpayer base to support it? …

Tags: city , city planning , flint , michigan , nature , urban decline , urban sprawl

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You all deserve a night on the town – your favorite restaurant, your favorite wine, your best friends. Alas. It’s time for one of you to take the short straw – the one soberly marked “designated driver”.

Or, you can hire a limo – and you don’t have to sabotage your eco principles to do it! The green chauffeur industry is on a…roll. (Oh dear, that’s two.)

For example, if you’re in the San Francisco area, you could contact Bauer’s Worldwide Intelligent Transportation. Over 85% of their miles are eco-friendly (they use sustainable fuel sources …

Tags: car , city , green , luxury , transportation

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We’ve always thought we had roofs covered. They had to be barren, hostile places the rain and the wildlife slid from before they could do any damage. Nature had no place on our roofs. Except…we couldn’t have been more wrong. A green roof may required a little extra engineering behind the scenes, but it’s far better than its non-living counterparts for regulating house temperature, filtering out pollutants, scrubbing the surrounding air, controlling stormwater run-off, absorbing sound and many more factors that impact our quality of life. A green roof is a healthy roof….

Tags: architecture , city , city planning , civil engineering , environment , green , green roofs , health , lifestyle , natural , nature , urban , urban design , wellness

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It was always a good idea; now it’s finally been done. Just in time for January fitness resolutions, sing up for the gym that’s partially powered by your workout. (It’s okay to admit that this conjures up images of hamsters on the treadmill, generating energy for the world to go round.) But rodent making the rounds it’s not. The Green Microgym in Portland, Oregon, has set the new standard for eco-fitness, indoors.

The gym is outfitted with Team Dynamo and Spin bikes set …

Tags: city , fitness , gadgets , gym , technology , wellness

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Over the last 12 months, we’ve seen some of the best, worst and most unusual that green architecture has to offer, from shipping container hotels to conference yurts. We’ve seen a host of exciting new ideas brought to the table – and here are a few that particularly won us over.

Bricks and mortar…on water?

It’s been hard to escape the Lilypad this year – thanks to a stunning …

Tags: architecture , city , design , designer , environment , green , housing , lifestyle , lighting , Living , prefab , sustainable , technology , trend , wood

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An overgrown city is a healthy city. Plants regulate temperatures, scrub the air, provide a haven for urban wildlife and lift our mood sky-high. But all too often, parks and tree-lined boulevards have been regarded as cosmetic frills worked around the basic necessities of concrete, glass and metal – something to add if there’s any money left in your budget. It’s shutters in the front and bare metal in the back.

Back to the drawing board. A study of urban mortality undertaken by two Scottish universities has discovered a link between …

Tags: city , environment , green , health , lifestyle , material , natural , nature

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Once upon a time, “doing your bit for the environment” was an impassioned hobby at best. Now, it’s a job – within the biggest boom industry of the next decade. The American Solar Energy Society estimates that 1 in 4 Americans will be working in green-collar jobs by 2030. (Future President, take note).

So, what are going to be the sustainable occupations of the new economy? Here are 10 predictions for green-collar jobs that will grow and grow:

Image
Bicycle / …

Tags: city , environment , green , innovation , work

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Pizza, gelato and vino are easy to come by in Italy but eco is not. The word even gets lost in translation there, until reinforced with hints like verde (green) and il mondo (the world).

That’s why I was surprised to bump into Singapore Supergarden on one of those meandering alleys off the San Marcos Square. Part of the 11th annual Venice Architecture Biennale, the exhibit showcases 22 objects which reflect the insights of emerging young architects and visionaries working in Singapore today.

I was drawn into the Supergarden Pavillion …

Tags: art , city , craft , design , environment , event , furniture , green , organic , recycled , travel

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Have you ever wondered what happened to all of those shiny gold and silver subway tokens that used to jingle in your grandpa’s pocket? The folks at tokens-coins.com have saved them from the abyss (and landfills) creating cuff links, key rings, jewelry and money clips.
Choose from such cities as New York, San Diego, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Buffalo, Washington DC.,Honolulu , San Francisco, Indianapolis, San Francisco (Market Street Railway), and Trenton. Each should come with its own authenticity card.
Find …

Tags: accessory , artisan , city , jewelry , metal , shopping

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