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US Census Data Statistics shows a distinct correlation between obesity rates and the percentage of the population living below the poverty line. Seven of the top ten states on the obesity list also include the highest concentration of poverty. Highly processed foods are cheap, and many families sacrifice their dietary needs in order to purchase … Read more

Fostering intergenerational relationships between citizens should never be as difficult as nuclear fission. Encouraging conversation between all citizens is as easy as simple mathematics; take groups of individuals able to receive and give support, create a safe living environment, and voila! A livable community. The Bridge Meadows complex in Portland, Oregon has done just that. … Read more

It's encouraging when the topics of livability and sustainability begin to crop up in governmental policy and programmatic goals. After all, these concepts mean different things to different people and, as such, can be challenging goals to quantify and budget. It's even more encouraging when such an effort goes global. Recently, in a unique effort … Read more

Increasingly in recent years, we’ve seen examples of social media having a profound impact on important moments in history. For example, Facebook was instrumental in igniting Egypt’s uprising in Tahrir Square. During U.S. President Barack Obama’s announcement of the death of Osama bin Laden, Twitter reached a record of more than 4,000 tweets per second … Read more

The Transition Movement is a growing international network of “transition” towns, cities, islands and hamlets working to wean themselves from a dependence on oil, foreign or otherwise, as well as other finite resources. It’s rhetoric we’ve grown accustomed to hearing—but this effort stands out. In the process of successfully addressing the oil question, this grassroots … Read more

A new Florida HOA proposal is threatening to ban children from playing outside – in their own neighborhood. This got us thinking about the importance of shared space and its impact on the health of kids and communities. There are lots of design solutions that could be implemented to benefit the neighborhood as a whole … Read more

Cities and regions across the world are launching ambitious transportation plans all in the name of sustainability. The EU's new proposal, Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area, aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transit and transport sectors by 2050. The plan is ambitious but not flashy— it promises a shining new … Read more

Every community wants to be considered the “most livable,” a title that can attract new business and investments, boost local economies and real estate markets, and foster community involvement and pride. Now, everyone from the Economist to Forbes.com seems to be getting in on the game of ranking cities for livability. The Philips Livable Cities … Read more

The concept of designing cities that meet the social, emotional, intellectual and physical needs of residents of all ages is one that IMCL has been advocating for years. Several new initiatives are underway to address the needs of some of a city's most vulnerable residents— children.  These initiatives present the perfect opportunity to talk about … Read more