Green Design
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Philly ranks 11th in nation for green buildings
A decrease in its green adoption rate caused the city to slip from its 2016 spot in the top 10.
Can sustainable stadiums be a better deal for cities and environment?
D.C. United’s forthcoming soccer field, funded in part with a green loan, offers more than a place to play
Swedish eco-retreat will have 14 glass cabins and a massive greenhouse restaurant
Its creators moved from Copenhagen to Sweden with the dream of creating a "lab for discovering better ways to eat, live, and connect with nature."
This giant panda? It’s a solar farm in China
China is building panda-shaped solar farms to promote green energy to youth.
World’s first ‘smart street’ turns footsteps into energy
And lures you into shopping nearby with coupons on an app.
‘Killer heat’ due to climate change may spike in U.S. cities, says study
Thousands of Americans will die each summer if emissions go unchecked, according to the NRDC.
This moss-covered wall is as air-purifying as 275 urban trees
Each CityTree removes CO2, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter from the air while also producing oxygen. Twenty of them have been deployed so far around the world.
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Philly wants to make solar energy affordable for every homeowner
Open enrollment for Solarize Philly, which aims to lower the cost of installation for both homeowners and developers, starts July 1.
A French smart city network is going global to fight climate change
DataCity wants to helps cities around the world become smarter, greener, and more efficient
New technology turns any street lamp into a charging station for your electric car
Ubitricity turns existing city street lamps into charging stations by simply installing a socket. When used together with the SmartCable and plugged into an electric vehicle, the setup allows for immediate charging—and billing.
High Line launches forum to advise similar projects around the country
The High Line Network is a sort of information-sharing club currently made of 19 park projects. The aim is to share ideas and best practices for growing a new crop of High Line-like projects.
Net-zero homes grew record 33 percent in 2016, says report
More than 8,000 new units were built last year in the U.S. and Canada
These prefab homes are designed to passive house standards
Constructed sustainably using cross-laminated timber, Kiss houses ship flatpack to anywhere in the world and can be assembled in three to four days.
Breakthrough ‘solar paint’ turns walls into endless energy source
Researchers may have created the ultimate hidden energy harvester: a paint that harnesses sun and the moisture in the air to produce hydrogen.
An Ohio city is turning a freeway into a forest
Akron plans to convert a decommissioned highway into a 35-acre park.
How Google Street View is mapping Oakland’s air pollution
Google Earth Outreach is an initiative that teams up with nonprofits to leverage the power of Google to do good for the planet.
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Design competition launches to redesign Philadelphia airport landscape
Have an idea to turn 130 acres into something great? Now’s your chance to weigh in.
Shipping containers become giant air purifiers in Switzerland
A new startup is building massive devices to clean the air and sell carbon to companies for commercial use. It’s the first business of its kind.
Tesla’s solar roof gets new competitor in Forward Labs
Unlike Tesla’s tiled design, Forward Labs’ product appears to be a single surface composed of layers of solar cells and tempered glass.
World’s largest floating solar farm begins operation in China
For years, the land near Huainan, China, was mined for coal, generating electricity and air pollution. But today, the mining lands are home to a new energy-producing operation: The world’s largest floating solar farm.
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The fantastical comeback of Longwood Gardens’ Main Fountain Garden
A rich man’s "attack of insanity" turned into one of the world’s greatest gardens. So how on earth could it get any better?
This Old (Green) House: Harvard is turning a historic house into a model of energy efficiency
By transforming a wooden home from the ‘20s into a model green design, the HouseZero project hopes to create a model for change
Old highway becomes public park with 24,000 plants in Seoul
Translated as "Towards Seoul," Seoullo 7017 runs above Seoul Station, connecting Namdaemun Market with the neighborhoods of Malli-dong, Jungnim-dong, and Cheongpa-dong.
World’s largest wind turbines now up and running off British coast
Each one rises taller than the Gherkin building, with a rotation wider than the London Eye.
These smog-sucking bikes clear the air while you cycle
The same air-obsessed Dutch designer who brought a giant smog-sucking tower to Beijing is now designing smaller, more personal smog-sucking devices: Bikes.
Solar-powered modern home has gardens on every floor
Sustainability-minded at every step, the architects at Bam! Arquitectura created a "3D garden" of sorts, where each level of the home has access to greenery.
These renter-friendly solar panel blinds are pretty clever
The blinds can be installed on either the inside or outside of the home, and the installation process is supposed to be easy enough for a customers to do it themselves.
Iceland is now using volcanoes as renewable energy source
The geothermal well is projected to produce 10 times more energy than oil or gas sources.
U.S. mayors push more cities to adopt sustainable power
Mayors for 100% Clean Energy asks leaders to commit their cities to 100 percent clean energy
Solar power’s future may be on these Brooklyn rooftops
The Brooklyn Microgrid, a community experiment in energy generation, wants to make locally sourced power a reality
NASA designs an inflatable greenhouse for growing veggies on Mars
The cylindrical prototype is modeled after biological systems on Earth.
UK startup uses recycled plastic to build stronger roads
British engineer Toby McCartney has devised an innovative process to replace much of the crude oil-based asphalt in pavement with tiny pellets of plastic created from recyclable bottles.
Tesla home batteries could find competition in Mercedes-Benz offering
Mercedes-Benz’s battery pack holds 2.5 kWh, and can be assembled with up to seven other packs to create one unified wall unit with a total capacity of 20 kWh.
Tesla will double its Supercharger network in 2017
With the rollout of the Model 3, Tesla owners will need more places to plug in.
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Photos: Here’s what you’ll see along the now-open Bartram’s Mile
Beautiful vantage points, simple seating, and a walk through the historic botanic Bartram’s Garden are just some of the sights along the one-mile trail.
The top 10 green buildings of 2017, according to AIA
Just in time for Earth Day, the American Institute of Architects and its Committee on the Environment announced the year’s top green projects.
AIA urges architects, federal government to tackle climate change
Ahead of Earth Day on April 22, the American Institute of Architects has released a statement detailing eight principles to guide architects’s role in fighting climate change.
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Powerhouse in Francisville wins AIA 2017 Housing Award
The 31 energy-efficient homes were designed by local firm ISA and developed by Postgreen Homes.
Shipping containers become efficient urban farms in Brooklyn
Each container packs two acres worth of farmland in under 320 square feet, producing crops ranging from lettuce to tuscan kale.