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Electrifying Vehicles in Chicago Would Save Lives, Reduce Pollution Inequities
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Electrifying Vehicles in Chicago Would Save Lives, Reduce Pollution Inequities

If the Chicago region replaced 30% of all on-road combustion-engine vehicles — including motorcycles, passenger cars and trucks, buses, refuse trucks and short- and long-haul trucks — with electric versions, it would annually save more than 1,000 lives and over $10 billion, according to a new Northwestern University study. The new study, which simulates air...

UC Economist Finds Strong Link Between Park Funding, Home Values
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UC Economist Finds Strong Link Between Park Funding, Home Values

Ohio residents who vote against tax renewals for parks and recreation spending could be costing themselves a significant amount of wealth in the form of their homes’ value, a University of Cincinnati economist found. David Brasington, PhD, the James C. and Caroline Kautz Chair in Political Economy and professor of economics in UC’s Carl H....

Six Strategies Could Boost NY City Housing by 300,000 Units Over Decade
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Six Strategies Could Boost NY City Housing by 300,000 Units Over Decade

Six policies aimed boosting residential housing construction in New York City could spark the production of roughly 300,000 additional new housing units over a decade, according to a new RAND Corporation report. The additional housing units would represent more than a 160% increase over recent annual housing production levels in the city, according to the...

Closure of Pittsburgh Coal-Processing Plant Tied to Local Health Gains
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Closure of Pittsburgh Coal-Processing Plant Tied to Local Health Gains

The closure in January 2016 of one of Pittsburgh’s biggest coal-processing plants led to immediate and lasting declines in emissions of fossil fuel-related air pollutants. These in turn were linked to near-instant decreases in local heart-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases, a new study shows. The impact of the closure persisted through...

Mesoamerica a Model for Modern Metropolises
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Mesoamerica: A Model for Modern Metropolises

Jakarta … San Francisco … Shanghai … Phoenix … Houston. These major cities and others around the globe have many similarities, but they share one particular commonality that is concerning for residents. They are among the global cities most affected by climate change. While each of these cities has proven resilient for centuries, urban planners,...

Chicago Pollution Varies by Neighborhood
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Chicago Pollution Varies by Neighborhood

New simulation combines emissions with weather and chemistry in an air-quality model First neighborhood-scale simulation of its kind focused on Chicago tracks air quality hour by hour across areas as small as 1.3 kilometers-sized blocks Simulation can show how pollutants move across space and time throughout the city and surrounding areas Air pollution along highways...

Study Finds Neighborhood Apps Increase Perceptions of Crime Rates
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Study Finds Neighborhood Apps Increase Perceptions of Crime Rates

How often do you glance at your neighborhood app, like Nextdoor or others, and learn about some crime in your area? Surely, it was not the intention of the app developers, but every time you hear of a crime nearby you might think that crime in your area is rampant. A new study by a...

Miami Beach Struggles with Spring Break Violence, Big Crowds
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Miami Beach Struggles with Spring Break Violence, Big Crowds

For the third year in a row, Miami Beach finds itself struggling with spring break violence, including two fatal shootings and unruly crowds, despite a massive police presence and activities designed to give people alternatives to drinking alcohol and roaming the streets. The party-all-the-time vibe in the South Beach section of the popular barrier island...