Urban

In an impressive feat of urban adaptation, sulphur-crested cockatoos have worked out how to use their feet and their large bodies to twist the taps of drinking fountains. And much like another of their moves, they're learning to do this en masse.

As urban underground landscapes heat up, the swelling and contraction they're experiencing is putting stress on the buildings above that they weren't designed to handle. So says a new study that calls the effect a "silent hazard."

Scientists have enlisted a new kind of helper to monitor the microbiomes of cities: the honeybee. Analyzing the debris from their hives has revealed much about what's happening at the microorganism level in cities around the world.

In a new study, scientists from China, Europe and Australia have examined how rapid urbanization has affected an often overlooked area of biodiversity, soil biodiversity, and how it has impacted human health.

Germany's affection for all things automotive may , with the city of Hamburg setting the wheels in motion for its "Green Network," a bold plan make cars an optional mode of transport in the city within 15-20 years.

In an effort to bring a dash of green to gray concrete jungles, Catalan landscape artist Marc Grañén teamed up with green wall and roof designer Alex Puig.Grañén to perfect his Phytokinetic concept that adds a roof-top garden to public transport vehicles.

Grey to Green paving slabs by Caroline Brahme are an effort to bring some natural color back to the cities we live in.

Research by scientists from Columbia University and NASA suggests that painting rooftops white can result in peak temperature drops of over 40 degrees Fahrenheit during summer months.

The i-Tree tool provides analysis, benefit-calculations and assessment tools to quantify the contribution made by trees in the urban environment to allow communities to understand the economic benefit of protecting our urban forests.

Designers have completed the largest and most biologically diverse living wall in Surrey, British Columbia for Semiahmoo Public Library and RCMP Facility with a design covering nearly 3,000 square feet and consisting of over 10,000 individual plants.