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From Austin to Anchorage, U.S. cities opt to ditch their off-street parking minimums

Around the country, cities are throwing out their own parking requirements, hoping to end up with less parking – and more affordable housing, better transit, and walkable neighborhoods.

02/01/2024

Making cities 'spongy' could help fight flooding — by steering the water underground

Almost all of China's medium and large cities are susceptible to floods. Some experts are promoting a solution called sponge cities — urban landscapes that are softer and meant to absorb more water.

03/10/2023

Scientific dynamic duo aims to stop the next pandemic before it starts

Two scientists, one Nigerian and one American, created a cutting-edge surveillance network to catch the next emerging disease before it becomes a pandemic.

25/09/2023

Whatever happened to the project to crack the wealthy world's lock on mRNA vaccines?

Lower-income countries did not get the COVID vaccines they needed. So the World Bank and other partners tapped a South African company to cook up the (undisclosed) recipe for the Moderna mRNA vaccine.

12/09/2023

A 4% income tax on millionaires will make lunch free for Massachusetts K-12 students

Massachusetts voters approved the Fair Share Amendment in November. It places a 4% tax on incomes above $1 million, in addition to the state's standard income tax of 5%.

18/08/2023

New Zealand becomes first country to ban single-use produce bags at grocery stores

The nation has banned the bags that typically hold vegetables and fruit. Recyclable, biodegradable or plant-based plastic bag are also included in the ban.

03/07/2023

These kids revamped their schoolyard. It could be a model to make cities healthier

Living near parks can boost health and well being. But low-income communities and those of color often have less access than wealthier, white ones. Revamping schoolyards could be a game changer.

17/06/2023

Local farmers in South Africa were cut out of rooibos tea cash. Now change is brewing

For generations, the Khoisan people harvested the rooibos plant to make tea. As this caffeine-free drink has grown trendy — 9,000 tons exported a year — they've been cut out of revenues. Until now.

27/05/2023

Can't stop scrolling? Ideas from teens for curbing your social media habit

Many parents are worried about their kids losing themselves for hours on their phones. Turns out, teens are troubled too. But they also know a lot about how to get unhooked. Here's how they do it.

17/05/2023

How a European law might get companies around the world to cut climate pollution

The European Union will tax certain imports based on the amount of carbon dioxide companies emit making them. Experts say the move could lead other major economies to do the same.

17/05/2023

Same-sex couples will now have full adoption rights in Taiwan

Taiwan legalized gay marriage in 2019, becoming the only place in Asia that allows it. But until now, those married couples could only adopt children related to one of the partners.

16/05/2023

When Getty began losing her vision as a girl, she was told her life was over. Wrong!

Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame says she could not imagine "what the future had in store." She faced sorrow — but ultimately triumphed. She is the new chair of the U.N. committee for disability rights.

13/05/2023

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