Aimee Rawlins’ Post

Four years ago, Paris embraced the concept of 15-minute city. It's the idea that you should be able to get anywhere important—a job, school, the grocery store, the doctor—within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. Since then, the idea has exploded around the world, with even surprising places like Cleveland starting to implement the concept. The results have been stark. In Paris, there are now 746 miles of protected bike lanes, and more Parisians bike than drive. Empty offices have been redeveloped with housing, coworking spaces, gyms, shops, and other uses under one roof. In Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, there's now a 50-person department focused on transforming it into a 15-minute city. That's just the beginning. There are more than 150 implementations in various forms around the world. Adele Peters chatted with Carlos Moreno, the Sorbonne professor who originally coined the "15-minute city" phrase. He talks about why the idea is so important—and how other cities can follow Paris' lead. Read her interview here.

It's no secret that microplastics are everywhere—we eat them, inhale them, and very likely drink them with every bottle of water we pick up. Scientists have linked these microplastics to fertility issues, lung complications, and cancer, just for starters. But today, a new study from the New England Journal of Medicine found an even more alarming link. People with higher levels of microplastics near their heart were much more likely to have a stroke, a heart attack, or to die. In some ways, this research raises more questions than it answers. But one thing is clear: Our reliance on single-use plastics isn't just bad for the environment, it's bad for our health. Read more in Jessica Hullinger's piece below.

When you think of walkable, car-free neighborhoods, your mind probably doesn't go immediately to Phoenix. But a new development is turning those expectations on their head. Residents who move into Culdesac, located in a Phoenix suburb, have to sign a contract saying they won't own a car—but the perks they get in return are extensive. The lack of asphalt means the development is significantly cooler than its neighbors; and the absence of a parking lot means that space can be used for shared community areas and amenities. Residents also get e-bike discounts, $5/hour EV rentals, and a free light rail pass. Adele Peters talked to the developer behind Culdesac about what inspired him to think outside the box, and she chatted with residents who've already moved in about how they like it so far. (Spoiler: they love it.) Read more about their experiences in her feature.

The journalism industry has been rocked by layoffs, most recently at the LA Times, Vice, Business Insider, and National Geographic, to name but a few. That's to say nothing of all the outlets that have shuttered—from ill-planned ventures like the Messenger to hundreds of local papers across the country. With such dire news, we had to ask: Is it still ethical to encourage students to go to journalism school, often saddling themselves with loads of debt in the process? To untangle that dilemma, Talib Visram talked to Graciela Mochkofsky, the dean of CUNY J-School; Jake Nelson, who teaches journalism at the University of Utah; and Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, who recently donated $20M so CUNY J-School could go tuition free. Read more about their thoughts on the state of the industry here: https://lnkd.in/g83TRgWS

The news that Cruise plans to lay off 24% of its staff is the latest blow to an industry that came into 2023 with a ton of momentum. AV companies were flush with cash, lauding their robotaxis in San Francisco and planning to expand more broadly across the country. But things have taken a darker turn for self-driving cars, as safety concerns have ballooned. Instead of 2023 solidifying their promise, it only raised more questions about their feasibility. E-bikes, on the other hand, have had a banner year. Sales have grown, cities and states have offered vouchers (which have been snapped up almost immediately), and bikeshare systems have announced plans to switch their fleets over entirely. E-bikes are outselling electric cars in the U.S. (and offsetting more gasoline use worldwide), making it a trend that's impossible to ignore. And why would we want to? In Fast Company, David Zipper argues that e-bikes make cities healthier, safer, cleaner, and less congested than a city dominated by cars. He's ready to crown 2023 the year of the e-bike — and not the self-driving car.

Many people want their companies to do more to combat climate change, but don't know where to start. Drew Wilkinson didn't let that stop him. In 2016, the activist and punk rocker got a job at Microsoft and quickly realized that the company's "green" group did very little. So he joined forces with a colleague to push Microsoft to reduce the waste in its cafeteria. Microsoft took their recommendations to heart, and eventually opened a zero-waste cafeteria. “If two random employees with no influence, no power, who don’t have sustainability in their job titles can convince a company the size of Microsoft to become more sustainable, what would happen if thousands of us did?” he says. Over the next five years, the company’s sustainability community grew to more than 10,000 people around the world. Now, Wilkinson has some practical advice for people who want to do something similar where they work. Read Adele Peters' story here.

I'm very excited to be moderating this upcoming panel on climate change and AI! We'll be adding more panelists in the coming days; in the meantime, you can find more details at the link below

Long before the town of Lahaina burned in Maui’s devastating wildfires, the area was filled with water. But as white settlers planted sugar plantations, and the area was colonized, the wetlands were filled in, making the area more susceptible to fire. This was compounded by invasive species that took over, replacing native plants with tall, dry grasses that fuel powerful fires. As the city grapples with its massive losses, some Hawaiians are arguing that restoring the wetlands needs to be a priority going forward. Read Adele Peters piece on the ecological history of Lahaina and what needs to change as its rebuilt.

Even before the devastating fires hit Lahaina last week, Maui had been facing an affordable housing crisis, with local Hawaiians increasingly having to leave the state. Now, as many as 3,000 homes may need to be replaced on Maui, exacerbating the crisis. It's just the latest example that illustrates how climate change is dramatically impacting housing across the country. From Vermont and Kentucky to Montana and Florida, climate change is making "natural" disasters much more frequent—and making the destruction far worse. Read Adele Peters' story about the state of housing in Maui—and a few glimmers of hope that could be replicated in disaster zones.