The desire to simplify and find new ways to bring more greenery to buildings and cities motivated agricultural engineer Sérgio Rocha to create Kaatop, a hydroponic roof tile designed for cultivating various plant species. The inspiration for the tile came from his professional experience developing green roofs and suspended gardens. Working in the field for over a decade, Rocha noticed that existing market systems and techniques struggled to gain traction in construction projects.

Rooftop farms and urban gardens are popular options for providing food in cities while mitigating heat islands, increasing building thermal insulation, and improving air quality. However, these plants often end up smaller and less healthy, as they suffer from higher solar radiation, wind exposure, and low soil moisture.

Young people from the Quebrada Agroecógica collective received the ImaGen Ventures award during COP-27, the world's largest climate change summit, held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The collective brings low-cost mini-cisterns to informal settlements and low-income communities.

While some countries are just beginning to harness their wind energy potential, others are already replacing older turbines with newer, more efficient models. This transition has raised a critical question: what should be done with the decommissioned turbine blades, which are massive and notoriously difficult to recycle?

Wind energy technology has advanced rapidly over the past 15 years. Given the 20-year lifespan of current wind turbine blades, they will need to be disposed of in the near future. In response, industry companies established the Re-Wind program, which supports researchers worldwide in finding alternatives for reusing turbine materials. The project explores the potential of repurposing these blades into architectural and engineering structures. 

The organization Climate Central has developed a series of images and videos simulating how various cities around the world could be affected by rising sea levels if the world fails to meet emissions reduction targets. 

Climate Central scientists analyzed where populations are most vulnerable over the next 200 to 2,000 years under different warming scenarios. The findings are alarming:

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The exuberance of the native pines that named one of São Paulo’s most traditional neighborhoods and one of the city's main rivers is today restricted to old photographs. While this could be just another nostalgic account, it actually serves as the catalyst for an ambitious project by Legado das Águas – Reserva Votorantim: bringing the Atlantic Forest back to the city. Designed by Cardim Arquitetura Paisagística, in partnership with the São Paulo State Secretariat for Infrastructure and Environment and the Metropolitan Water and Energy Company (EMAE), this new phase of the Pomar Urbano (Urban Orchard) Project will see Legado das Águas execute the state's largest urban landscaping project using native Atlantic Forest species, offering an innovative approach to transforming the relationship between the river and the metropolis.

Last month, the city of Cuiabá inaugurated its first bus shelter built by repurposing shipping containers. The shelter was developed under a public-private partnership model, in which the companies Pantanal Shopping and Edificatto Arquitetura provided the bus stop to the city in exchange for advertising rights.

A new law scheduled for approval by the end of the first half of 2019, set to take effect by decree in 2020, is expected to establish guidelines and objectives for solar energy use in the city of São Paulo. Regulations from Palmas, in the Brazilian state of Tocantins, and California, in the United States, served as benchmarks to technically develop a bill tailored to the city's needs.

The Wild Mile project is an ambitious initiative by the nonprofit organization Urban Rivers, aiming to restore a 1.5-kilometer stretch of the Chicago River in the United States. The project involves creating a vibrant and sustainable urban oasis with boardwalks and floating gardens.

Since the opening of its first section in July 2023, the Wild Mile has already attracted over 30,000 visitors, including local residents, educational programs, and special events. Leaders at Urban Rivers express pride in the project's achievements, highlighting the transformation of a once-neglected stretch of the river into a thriving public space for both wildlife and people.

The use of earth plaster is very common in natural buildings; it is the same mixture used in adobe. Though easily made, its use is not widely known. Rafael Loschiavo, from Ecoeficientes, teaches the step-by-step method for bringing a new life to a run-down wall without the need for major renovations.

Did you know that tree-lined streets are proven to be beneficial to physical and mental health? So why not include them in health funding? The Nature Conservancy's new research demonstrates the number of reasons why this should be done.