Cities

Eiffel Tower in Paris City

Paris to replace 60,000 parking spaces with trees 

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Paris aims to replace 60,000 parking spaces across the city with trees by the end of this decade, according to its newly released climate plan. The plan, which must still be approved by the Council of Paris, lays out steps to help the city prepare for more extreme heat. The goal of ripping up parking spaces is part of a larger aim to create more than 700 acres of green space by 2030. The plan also calls for setting up more cooling centers, creating more car-free zones, and installing reflective roofs on 1,000 public buildings.

Monroe Nichols

Tulsa elects its first Black mayor

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Monroe Nichols will become the first Black mayor of Tulsa. Nichols, a state representative, edged out Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith in a runoff election to become the mayor of Oklahoma’s second-largest city. Nichols’ election comes 103 years after the Tulsa Race Massacre, when a white racist mob, including some deputized by authorities, descended on the city’s Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street. They burned down homes and businesses, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 75 to 300 Black residents.

An Aerial/Drone Shot of The capital city of Tanzania

Bus rapid transit stations in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania are getting EV charging stations

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Tanzania has one of the most advanced Bus Rapid Transit systems on the African continent. Known as the DART, Dar Rapid Transit Agency began operations in 2016 and has 29 stations around Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam. In a significant step towards promoting sustainable transportation in Tanzania, the DART has signed a landmark contract with TRÍ to install an advanced electric charging system within the DART infrastructure.

The Hague waterfront and buildings

The Hague becomes world’s first city to pass law banning fossil fuel-related ads

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New legislation in the Dutch city spells the end of publicly and privately funded advertising for petrol and diesel, aviation and cruise ships in city streets, including on billboards and bus shelters. It takes effect from the start of next year. It is the first time a city has banned high-carbon advertising through local legislation. The decision follows a call by the U.N. chief, António Guterres, earlier this year for governments and media to enact such bans, as they have done with tobacco.

The beach with vegetation in foreground

In a first, the Brazilian city of Linhares grants legal rights to waves

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The city of Linhares, Brazil, has granted legal rights to the waves at the mouth of the Doce River, the first instance in which a government has conferred rights upon part of the ocean. The city is aiming to better protect its coastal waters in the wake of the 2015 collapse of the Fundão dam. The dam held back more than 10 billion gallons of waste at an iron mine upstream, and when it failed, a wave of sludge poured into the Doce River.

Helsinki

World’s largest air-to-water heat pump to warm 30,000 homes in Finland

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Finland’s capital city, Helsinki, is building the world’s largest heat pump to keep as many as 30,000 homes warm in the winter while reducing carbon emissions. The pump can operate at temperatures as low as -4 Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) while being powered by only renewable energy sources. Unlike furnaces or air conditioners, which work well in a single season, heat pumps are more energy efficient and can work in all climates.

Aerial view of modern water cleaning facility at urban wastewater treatment plant. Purification process of removing undesirable chemicals

Tofino, B.C., to stop discharging untreated sewage into the ocean

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The District of Tofino has opened its first wastewater treatment plant, with officials calling it a “major milestone” for the community of around 2,500 people. The facility, which took around two years to build, will enable the district to end its decades-long practice of sending raw sewage into the ocean.

Charging an EV

Major new commitment from nearly 350 mayors to accelerate U.S. electric vehicle transition

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As a part of the 2nd anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, nearly 350 Climate Mayors announced a commitment to electrify at least 50% of municipal fleets by 2030 while increasing electric vehicle (EV) chargers by at least 500%, with at least 40% of the charging infrastructure benefitting disadvantaged communities. This collective effort is a pivotal move to meet the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal to make 50% of all new vehicle sales electric by 2030.

Hands making hear shape over transgender flag in background

Mexico City passes law requiring harsher sentences for anti-trans murderers

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Mexico City, Mexico has passed a local law banning murders against transgender women, a practice referred to in the country as transfemicidio (transfemicide). Murderers convicted under the law would face between 35 to 70 years in prison. Nearly 600 trans people in Mexico have been murdered between 2008 and 2021. At least 10 trans women have been murdered this year in Mexico City alone.

San Francisco and Golden Gate Bridge at sunset

San Francisco votes unanimously to become a sanctuary city for trans & nonbinary people

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San Francisco, California has become the largest city in the United States to declare itself a sanctuary city for transgender, gender nonconforming, nonbinary, and Two Spirit people to safely receive gender-affirming healthcare. The city’s Board of Supervisors has voted unanimously to bar city officials from assisting any out-of-state investigations into individuals who obtain, provide, or help others access gender-affirming care.

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