Amazing Laser Gadget for Bike Safety Projects Warning Image on Road
A University of Brighton student has developed a safety device that projects a bright green laser image of a bike onto the road ahead – alerting motorists to their presence.
Urban
Showing 141 - 160 of 200 Posts
The 4 Apps That Are Total Game Changers For New Yorkers and Beyond
These four innovative apps will make life in The Big Apple—and in some cases, other cities, too—a whole lot easier and more enjoyable.
US Air Pollution Hits 10-year Low, Report Finds
A report by the American Lung Association finds that air pollution has fallen to its lowest levels since the group began collecting data in 2000. The nonprofit organization credits the Clean Air Act for the cleanup of major air pollution sources, such as coal-fired power plants and the fleet of older, dirtier trucks.
2012 New York City Murder Rate at Historic Low, Is Even Lower Than It Looks
The number of New York City homicide deaths this year, already plummeting to historic lows, is actually lower than police statistics show. Older cases further reduced the homicide count to 388 through Wednesday; compared with 493 during the same period in 2011.
No Person Shot, Stabbed, or Murdered in NYC Monday - Part of a Trend
For a blissful 36 hours beginning on Sunday night, there was no gun or knife violence reported in New York City. Officials couldn't remember the last time that happened. But it may not be as rare in the future. Homicide rates in the Big Apple have fallen continuously since the 1990's.
Main Street Comeback: How Independent Stores are Thriving
Despite behemoths like Starbucks and Amazon, the number of independent bookstores, coffeeshops, and other businesses is growing. At the annual Business Alliance for Local Living Economies conference, where more than 600 high-energy people strategized about the transition to a more localized, Main Street economy, I learned that independent retailers are thriving.
New York Passes Historic Green Jobs Financing Law
An innovative financing mechanism for achieving the green jobs and carbon cuts mandated in New York was passed last week by the state legislature. The Power NY Act funnels energy savings from individual electric bills to the cause of financing energy efficient retrofits on one million buildings and homes.
NYC to Replace Phone Booths with 10,000 Super-Fast Wi-Fi Kiosks
Beginning next year, New York will replace the city's pay phone booths with 10,000 new wi-fi kiosks that can connect 250 devices to the internet simultaneously. They will feature keypads to make calls on, charging stations and tablets with connecting speeds 20 times faster than the average home.
Bright Is The New Black: NYC White Roofs Bringing Down Summer Temps
On the hottest day of the summer last year in New York City, a white roof was measured to be 42 degrees (F) cooler than the traditional black roof it was being compared to by NASA scientists studying the city's unprecedented effort to brighten rooftops and cool down the city.
'Invisible Bike Helmet' Is Airbag for Your Head
Two graduate students are getting global attention after creating an "invisible bike helmet" - actually a mini airbag designed to protect bicyclists' heads from injuries.
At-Risk Philadelphia Teens Shatter Expectations - 98% Going to College
A commencement ceremony recently celebrated 39 high school students who beat the odds. All these teens thrived given free tuition from Girard College (a boarding school for kids and teens established in 1848 to serve orphans).
Once an Urban Landfill, Now a Rowing Paradise
Near the junction of the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate 80, not far from the conga line of traffic grinding toward New York City, lies a body of water that was once a garbage dump, a murky soup of stinking refuse and plastic bottles. But after a recent renaissance, that body of water, Overpeck Creek, and the new park abutting it have become a destination for rowers from New York City.
Detroit and Banks Team Up to Lure Police Officers Back to City With Low Cost Homes
The city of Detroit and Bank of America have teamed up to solve three problems at once: By enticing cops to live in urban neighborhoods, offering them refurbished homes and low cost loans, houses standing empty will be inhabited, rather than vandalized, communities will feel more secure with law enforcement nearby, and urban property values and the city's tax base will be bolstered.
Washington DC: From Murder Capital to Boomtown in 25 Years
A quarter of a century ago, Washington DC had a fearsome reputation for crack abuse and rampant gun violence - it was the "murder capital" of the US. But now, once-blighted neighborhoods close to the centre of the capital are thriving.
Hardware Store Recreates Van Gogh's Starry Night With Door Knobs
Looking at a warehouse full of discontinued door knobs, the folks at Union Hardware in Maryland wondered what they could possibly do to put all those products to better use. So, in 2011 the third-generation, family-owned business began a project to bring to life Vincent Van Gogh's masterpiece Starry Night using the tools of the hardware trade -- door knobs, levers and plates.
Artist Sews Ripped Clothes for Free on SF City Sidewalks
One day a month artist Michael Swaine can be found on a San Francisco sidewalk using his vintage sewing machine with foot pedal to mend the holes in people's clothes for free.
Mayor Turns his Personal Parking Space into a Mini Park
The 25 year-old mayor of Ithaca, N.Y., has taken his exclusive downtown parking spot, which is reserved for the mayor, and he turned it into a mini park, with flowers and benches.
One Million People Pack D.C. With Energy, Optimism
Spirits were high among hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic spectators flocking to Washington for Monday's inauguration, where they braved chilly temperatures and heavy security to witness the ceremonial start of President Obama's second term.
Whole Foods to Build First Commercial Rooftop Greenhouse Atop Brooklyn Store
Whole Foods Market has partnered with Gotham Greens to build the nation's first commercial-scale rooftop greenhouse for growing year-round local produce atop the store in Brooklyn beginning this fall.
And the Happiest City in the United States is…
Which big cities in America have the most people who are thriving? According to the 2014 Well-Being Index, there are ten that are probably the happiest metro areas in the country.
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