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Dubai’s innovative urban cooling technology: How district cooling works

Author | Lucía Burbano Beyond waste management or pedestrianizing streets, cities in extreme environments face the unique challenge of providing reliable heating or cooling for public and private buildings. This can be achieved through renewable energy sources or innovative methods like recycling waste. In cities like Stockholm or New York, strategies center on combating cold […]

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South Korea is studying marine carbon capture: What is this technology and what are its applications?

Authors | Elvira Esparza and Lucía Burbano South Korea has outfitted the 2,200 TEU vessel HMM Mongla, with advanced onboard carbon capture systems. This pioneering project is a collaboration among major industry players, including Samsung Heavy Industries, Hyundai Marine Solutions, Panasia, and Korea Register. With this initiative, the Korean government plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions […]

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South Korea’s self-cleaning roads: a social media sensation

Occasionally, a photograph or video surfaces on social media showcasing an impressive automated system: a self-cleaning road equipped with strategically placed sprinklers. However, these fascinating roads serve a dual purpose. Moreover, they are not a recent innovation. In fact, these roads have been showcasing their potential for years. An inside look at South Korea’s self-cleaning […]

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What are passive houses and what are their energy benefits

Author | Jaime Ramos When studying the issue of the energy efficiency of buildings, one sometimes gets the feeling that it begins from the roof down. Apart from focusing on achieving clean energy production, it is useful to understand that we have the power to reduce consumption and alleviate energy losses. Passive houses have been doing this […]

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Rubber in playgrounds: an unexpected source of land pollution?

Author | Lucía Burbano Can materials like rubber, used in public infrastructures such as children’s parks, have harmful effects on health? In general terms, the numerous quality controls to which they are subjected would suggest otherwise. Many of these petroleum-based synthetics, however, contain harmful substances that can negatively impact the environment and potentially human health. […]

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Wood: A key material for the new generation of sustainable development

Author | Elvira Esparza Wood can replace other construction materials such as steel, concrete, and glass, and it is also a more sustainable option. Using wood in construction does not entail destroying forests; instead, it focuses on preserving existing forests and managing tree-rich regions with modern methods aimed at protecting biodiversity. The sustainable use of […]

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Ellinikon, Greece’s futuristic smart city project in an abandoned airport

Author | Lucía Burbano Over the next decade, the former international airport of Ellinikon will be transformed into Greece’s first smart city, embracing the principles of sustainable and inclusive urbanism. Ellinikon, one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe, is dedicated to integrating advanced technology, environmental sustainability, and smart resource and population management. It […]

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The Paris Olympics and the Urban Heat Island Effect

The Parisian Olympic Village was designed to be more sustainable than ever, but is it helping solve the Urban Heat Island effect?

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Neft Daşları, the story of a unique oil settlement built on sunken boats

Author | Elvira Esparza Neft Daşları is a floating city built on the sea to meet the demands of the offshore oil industry. It is the world’s first marine oil platform, constructed on sunken boats. At its peak, it featured 2,000 oil wells and 300 kilometers of bridges and roads connecting the city’s various infrastructures. […]

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This is how Venice wants to save itself

Sea water levels rose between 10 and 25 centimeters and by 2100 they are expected to rise between 60 and 110 centimeters. Land subsidence and rising sea levels are inevitable, and they are leading to the city sinking even further each time the tides rise, which is occurring more and more often.

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What is self-healing concrete and how does it promise to revolutionize the field of construction

Author | Elvira Esparza Concrete is the most commonly used construction material, yet it also ranks among the most environmentally taxing substances. Self-healing concrete based on bioconstruction techniques, enables the material to repair itself, thereby preventing cracks from compromising the structural integrity of buildings. According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the […]

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Biomimicry: Engineering and technology inspired by Nature

Author | Elvira Esparza The maxim “nature is wise” serves as the foundation for biomimicry, a methodology, and perhaps a philosophy, applied to engineering, which draws inspiration from the environment to enhance human activities, aiming for greater efficiency, resilience, and sustainability, whether applied to transporting people and goods or the construction of buildings. What is […]

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