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Cities

Biobot Analytics is tracking the use of opioids, neighborhood by neighborhood, by analyzing the sewage in Cary, North Carolina.

Sewage May Hold the Key to Tracking Opioid Abuse

Public health managers are hoping to pinpoint how and when people abuse drugs in order to prevent deaths

A proposed street of the future could be made of hexagonal blocks containing lights.

Rethinking How We Build City Streets

Sidewalk Labs envisions modular streets that can morph to meet the everyday needs of a neighborhood

Cool Finds

Fog Sculptures Are Enshrouding Boston’s Historic Parks

Artist Fujiko Nakaya brings five fog installations to life to mark the Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s 20th anniversary

Trending Today

The Science Behind California’s “Fire Tornado”

The spinning mass of smoke filmed near Redding, California, is much taller, wider and lasted longer than average fire whirls

The Santa Monica State Beach is an allegory of North American consumerism. Every morning, cleaners collect chip bags, takeout containers, plastic straws, and more, hiding tonnes of trash from beachgoers who may never know the magnitude of the problem.

Are We Grooming Beaches to Death?

Urban beaches worldwide have less garbage than remote beaches, but less life too. The City of Santa Monica hopes to change the image of a clean beach.

Fire fighters attempt to douse a smoldering building on Superior following the shootout in the Glenville neighborhood of Cleveland on July 23, 1968.

What Happened When Violence Broke Out on Cleveland’s East Side 50 Years Ago?

In the summer of 1968, the neighborhood of Glenville erupted in “urban warfare,” leaving seven dead and heightening police-community tensions

Trending Today

Chicago Says Goodbye to Its Last Tiny Waterfall

Niagara, it was not

A clear day at Acadia National Park in Maine.

National Parks Can Be Just as Smoggy as Major Cities

And it’s scaring away visitors

Emirates Flight Catering and Crop One Holdings announced plans this week for what would be the world’s largest vertical farm, to be based in Dubai. This is another one of Crop One’s vertical farms, which don’t use pesticides and are more water-efficient than their soil counterparts.

Dubai Will Be Home To the World’s Biggest Vertical Farm

An indoor megafarm might be the best way for the United Arab Emirates—a country that imports an estimated 85 percent of its food—to attempt to feed itself

The Harmony is an all-electric vehicle designed by Texas A&M engineers.

Personal Flying Machines of the Future Won’t Look Much Like Jet Packs

Judging from the GoFly competition, they’re much more likely to resemble flying motorbikes

Interior Views Light through windows in Main Concourse, Grand Central Terminal, 1929.

The Preservation Battle of Grand Central

Forty years ago, preservationists—including a former First Lady—fought to maintain the integrity of New York City’s historic railway station

The Biggest Threat Facing the City of Miami

Rising sea levels are threatening to flood Miami. In fact, some scientists estimate that the entire city could be underwater by the end of the 21st century

Charleston's City Hall, where Tuesday's vote was held, was built by enslaved people.

Charleston, South Carolina, Formally Apologizes for Its Role in the Slave Trade

Some 40 percent of enslaved Africans entered the country through Charleston

You'd expect to see a raccoon snuffling around at midnight. A sun bear, not so much.

New Research

Fear of Humans Is Forcing Daytime Animals Into Night Mode

The stress is pushing some animals to adjust their schedules—but not all will be quick enough to adapt

Aerial view of Guadalajara

How Guadalajara Reinvented Itself as a Technology Hub

Mexico’s second largest city has nimbly transformed into a R&D hotpsot, offering a model for the country’s future

The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2018

From Oregon Trail stops to Mister Rogers’ original neighborhood, these towns are worth seeing this year

Which Famous Music Icons Lived in These Chicago Homes?

Chicago has always been a hotbed of musical talent

This Is America’s Fastest-Growing City

Census data reveals the cities in the United States experiencing population booms

The first phase of San Pedro Culture Park, dubbed "Latino High Line," opened earlier this month.

The First Phase of San Antonio’s ‘Latino High Line’ Is Now Open

San Pedro Creek became a physical and metaphorical barrier between the city’s white and Latino residents. This project is looking to change that

Window Cleaning One of Chicago’s Tallest Buildings

Chicago, home to some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, throws some pretty unusual challenges at its daring window cleaners

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