article thumbnail

Urban Sanitation Is a Climate and Economic Issue Too

The City Fix

First, the river rises, flooding into streets and houses. Along the Ngong River in Mukuru, one of Nairobi’s slum neighborhoods and home to more than 100,000 people, residents face a dual threat when the rains come. Then the water reaches. Continue reading on TheCityFix.com.

article thumbnail

A Fairer and More Sustainable Post-COVID World in Latin America

The City Fix

The large cities in the Latin American region all have one thing in common: the opportunities for employment and income are concentrated in a few districts while, more and more, sprawling housing zones are located on the outskirts of cities. Continue reading on TheCityFix.com.

article thumbnail

7 Major Transformations to Solve Urban Inequality

The City Fix

The house has a toilet and electricity, but the costs for both. Owusu lives with his wife and four children in the Tantra Hills neighborhood of Accra, Ghana, where he shares his residence with five other tenants and their families. Continue reading on TheCityFix.com.

Housing 119
article thumbnail

In Nairobi, Residents Redesign Public Spaces to Build Flood Resilience

The City Fix

When it rained, it would be very difficult for us to even sleep because the flooding would get into the houses,” she told WRI. During Caroline Owala’s childhood, flooding during rainstorms was a normal occurrence. Caroline grew up in Kibera, Continue reading on TheCityFix.com.

Housing 116
article thumbnail

5 Cities Show How to Thrive in Turbulent Times

The City Fix

Infectious disease outbreaks led to public health policies and modern sanitation. History shows that when disasters and crises strike, cities often bounce back stronger and more resilient than before. The great Chicago fire famously gave rise to skyscrapers. The devastation of World War II catalyzed unprecedented.

article thumbnail

Earth Day Part 1: DC isn't achieving its sustainability goals wrt waste diversion

Rebuilding Place in Urban Space

The solution, which I wrote in 2013 (" Urban composting redux ," " A way for DC to begin adding yard waste collection as a separate element of waste collection and reduction programming ") is to divide the city into two: (1) rowhouse neighborhoods and (2) detached housing neighborhoods.

article thumbnail

Macrofortification

Rebuilding Place in Urban Space

A couple decades ago I saw a presentation at the National Building Museum by Camilo José Vergara , who specializes in photographing urban decay, showing photos of Los Angeles, including what he called "micro-fortification" of housings around pipes and stuff. He was very critical, arguing it demonstrated a grim, anti-people approach.