Building better environments

We keep an eye on issues around the world that affect people and property in the built environment.

Google mapping air quality across europe

Over the past few years, Google has been fitting many of their Street View cars – which are a familiar sight in towns and cities all around the world – with pollution sensors designed to trackair quality in urban areas. Over the past few years, …

Heart healthy cities enabled by tech

The smart cities conversation has moved on. Leading city managers and local governments are now focusing on healthy cities, and heart healthy cities in particular, enabled by tech. “Genetics loads the gun but the environment pulls the trigger” The smart cities conversation has moved on. …

Air Quality impact on property transactions

Air quality is becoming just as much of an issue for would-be home buyers as other environmental concerns, like flood risk and land contamination, when it comes to buying a home. According to legal and property resources website, www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk, local air quality is becoming just …

Pandemic impact on Smart cities movement

How have the changes brought about by the pandemic impacted on government projects for Smart Cities? According to the resource website for Public Sector IT professionals, www.gcn.com, the ongoing pandemic has accelerated the rise of smart cities across the US and furthered this State-sponsored smart …

Wind Turbines

Balancing climate change action with noise management Last week the Irish Government published its long anticipated Climate Action Bill and Low Development Bill to guide Ireland on its journey to a “climate resilient, biodiversity rich, environmentally sustainable and climate neutral economy”. The draft Bill, which …

Dublin Traffic

Still some distance to travel to tackle the effects of noise pollution. In the past, noise pollution was often referred to as an invisible threat. However, this is increasingly no longer the case. There is now a growing awareness of the ill-health effects of noise …

Smoky coal Ban Spring 2021 Poster

Positive moves by Irish government to tackle air pollution In recent days, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, said that there will be tougher restrictions needed if Ireland intends to reduce emissions across the country. Therefore, a process of public consultation is …

Cartoon houses Noise Polution

Noise reduction is one of the few benefits of the global pandemic, but there is also a downside. Over the past 11 months, we have been writing about how noise pollution has reduced in cities all around the world as a result of the pandemic. …

Global Actions to Control Noise Sonitus

Last month, Noise News International published the first in a series of articles by Walter Montano documenting the history of global actions seeking to control noise. Last month, Noise News International published the first in a series of articles by Walter Montano documenting the history …

Dhaka Skyline Picture

A stark headline in the UK publication The Guardian earlier this month cautioned that ‘Air pollution will lead to mass migration’. A stark headline in the UK publication The Guardian earlier this month cautioned that ‘Air pollution will lead to mass migration’. This worrying commentary …