Brainstorm | Opinion, Analysis, Reports, Features

Sales of cargo bikes increased by 36.3% between 2021 and 2022. Photo: Getty Images

Can cargo bikes fix the last-mile delivery problem in our cities?

Residents in five European cities highly support the introduction of sustainable cargo bike delivery services

'It is increasingly clear that urban policies aimed at providing more varied and inclusive housing stock, by addressing real estate development, are falling woefully short of their aims on a global scale.

How can urban neighbourhoods be made more affordable?

As housing crises rage across the world, we need a new approach to land ownership and architecture in our towns and cities

Housing • 19 Apr

'Our nights have changed enormously in just a century and a half thanks to the widespread use of electric light'. Photo: MyJuly/Shutterstock

How urban noise and bright lights keep city residents up at night

Here are some of the steps which a town or city can take to reduce night noise and help its citizens to sleep better

Health • 31 Oct 23

Tactile paving are paving units that bear distinctive, raised surface profiles to be detected by both sighted and visually impaired pedestrians. Photo: Kevin Delaney

The secrets of the footpaths you walk every day

Tactile paving allows vulnerable and mobility-impaired people to read the streets and navigate with comfort and confidence

Engineering • 25 Oct 22

How much would you pay to drive your car into Dublin city centre?

Is it time to introduce car congestion charges in Dublin?

'We do need to get the people out of their car. That's the key target'

Cities • 09 Aug 22

Dublin's Capel Street during last summer's pedestrianisation pilot. Photo: Cian Cinty/IrishCycle.com http://www.irishcycle.com

Walk this way: why Irish cities are giving way to pedestrians

With Dublin's Capel Street now car-free, urban pedestrian zones are increasingly getting the go-ahead

Cities • 07 Jun 22

4 steps to make Dublin a better walking city

From more trees to fewer cars, turning cities into better walking environments is of benefit to all

Walking • 12 Aug 21

A self-driving car can deliver you in your pyjamas to your desk and then roll onto some other job

Here's one way a blockchain could deliver a smarter city

A blockchain to manage self-driving cars could lead to the development of a cleaner and less congested city

Cities • 02 Sep 19

A cyclist in Oslo, a city slowly but surely reducing the number of cars in its city centre. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell/AFP/Getty Images

Reclaiming the streets from the car

With so much of our city space given over to cars, are car-free cities the way to cut through the gridlock?

Podcast • 16 Aug 19

Would Dublin be Dublin without Dublin Port?

Proposals to move the port need to consider the value of the infrastructure to the capital and the massive costs involved in any move

Dublin Port • 14 Aug 19

Can the citizen and the planner ever be friends?

The clash between private interests and the public good stymies urban planning's attempts to design spaces we all use and inhabit

Urban planning • 28 Jun 19

What's the effect of lower speed limits on city life?

As cities like Dublin and London propose lower speed limits, here's the evidence of their effect on city life

Speed Limits • 25 Sep 18

Inside the modern Panopticon. Photo: iStock

Your city is watching you

If you are a law abiding citizen, should the amount of surveillance you encounter on a daily basis be a matter of concern?

Surveillance • 19 Jul 18

Damage to homes in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in September 2017. Photo: Getty Images

Why do people choose to live in disaster-prone cities and areas?

New research shows that the ties that bind people to their homes are stronger than we imagine, even in the face of hurricanes and other …

Climate Change • 13 Oct 17

Why decentralisation is key to the success of Ireland 2040

Opinion: Irish policy mindset needs to accept that decentralisation of control and responsibility for business development to city regions, towns and rural areas is essential …

Decentralisation • 03 Oct 17

City life is not just for the birds. Photo: Daniel Ladenhauf https://www.flickr.com/photos/ladi/

Here's how to give people a greater say in their cities

Communities who don't have access to cultural, social and political capital need a voice to influence the urban agenda and contribute solutions to the problems …

cities • 25 Sep 17

Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. Photo: 準建築人手札網站 Forgemind ArchiMedia https://www.flickr.com/photos/eager/

Is anyone asking what people want from future smart cities?

The people living in cities are disconnected from the plans being made by companies and governments on their behalf about what those cities should look …

cities • 25 Sep 17