In November 2025, entrepreneur Nahum Rosenberger announced plans to develop Israel’s most expensive urban renewal project at the Hasbon (Hesbon) complex in central Jerusalem. The project, with an estimated investment of NIS 3.6 billion (about $1 billion USD), will span about 7 acres and include three high-rise towers of 41, 43, and 45 floors, comprising approximately 950 residential apartments.

Beyond housing, the development will feature extensive mixed-use components, including 8,600 square meters of retail space, 8,300 square meters of office and employment space, around 6,100 square meters of hotel use, and underground parking. Large areas will be dedicated to public use, reflecting the city’s priorities.

The urban renewal is being managed by Eden, Jerusalem Municipality’s economic development arm. Public-benefit allocations will include a 4,300-square-meter library, auditorium, and laboratories, four kindergarten classrooms, three daycare classrooms, a 600-square-meter synagogue, an 1,800-square-meter sports hall, and a 10-dunam public park. Some of the photos released by the developer are shown here.

The project is designed by the internationally renowned Dutch architecture firm MVRDV, in collaboration with Danish architect Jan Gehl, known for people-centered urban design. The local architectural firm is MAARCS, with landscape architecture by Urbanof (Orbanof), led by Lior Levinger.

Once a historic cigarette factory, the Hasbon complex is being transformed into a new, vibrant community and cultural hub in the heart of Jerusalem, aiming to create an innovative urban space that connects community life, culture, and the city center, according to the city, but Israeli-Greek architect Elias Mesinas sees things differently. He writes:

Jerusalem is a city whose urban identity was shaped over centuries through a balance between sacred sites, preserved skylines, and community-driven discussion. Today, that balance is being tested. At Hasbon compound, a proposal for a 50-storey three tower luxury development has triggered more than 200 objections from the local community concerned about the project’s scale, shadows, and long-term impact on public space. The issue is not whether Jerusalem should build or densify, but how it should do so, and for whom.

The city inherited from the British Mandate era three “red lines” in planning: protection of the skyline, building in stone, and preserving the valleys. As the city expanded westward with distinctive garden-city neighborhoods, and to the east with massive, dense but low-rise residential complexes, these principles ensured visual harmony with the Old City and the historic neighborhoods and landscapes and a sense of place for the local community. Recent urban-renewal policies — driven by seismic-risk mitigation (Tama 38), demographic projections for population growth, and mass-transit expansion — have challenged these constraints. The result has been a gradual acceptance of planning and zoning schemes previously considered unthinkable for the city, leading to a wave of approvals for high-density high-rise redevelopment for luxury living rather than affordable units, threatening to push long-time residents out of historic neighborhoods through ‘gentrification.’

Over the past three decades, Jerusalem’s Community Councils have played a critical role in engaging residents in planning processes and ensuring that the voice of the community is heard in planning committees. As someone who has served as an urban planner for one of these Councils, I have seen how local knowledge and civic involvement has improved plans, has protected open spaces and old trees, has increased public amenities, and has ensured that neighborhood character is considered.

Further, in 2023, community action even succeeded in rerouting the light rail planned blue line, to ensure that it does not harm the neighborhood but rather serves it. In the past, community advocacy has even succeeded in rejecting international ‘trophy projects,’ from Frank Gehry’s Tolerance Museum to Moshe Safdie’s residential plan in the Judean Hills, and in 2023, MVRDV’s proposal for the President’s Hotel site in historic Talbieh neighborhood: although significantly reduced in height after strong neighborhood objections — a case in which I personally delivered the community’s position to planners and the design team, ultimately, it was canceled and the property sold to another developer.

This context is essential for understanding the current Hasbon Square controversy. The site’s planning history began with approval for a single 30-storey tower on the old Pazgaz building in 2021. Over the years, through amendments and increasing developer ambitions, the proposal expanded into a three-tower scheme that now aims to also occupy land of Meir Sherman park – part of Independence park – a public park since 1921. Despite the impressive portfolio of the international teams involved — including architects MVRDV and urban planner Jan Gehl — the plan raises substantive planning concerns, and community objections, primarily about quality public space.

The community objects to the loss of meaningful public space. A significant portion of existing green area – Meir Sherman park – is proposed for development. The remaining open space would spend much of the year in shade due to the towers’ half-kilometer-long shadow — one projected to reach in the afternoon near the Old City walls less than 800 meters away. A public space without sunlight risks becoming symbolic rather than usable, inviting and pleasant.

The community objects to private sky courts labelled as public but inaccessible. Private elevated courtyards dramatically increase the project’s volume and height. Although described in the project documents as ‘public amenities’, these spaces are in fact private, for use by the development tenants only, leaving the local community with only a minimal share of accessible public use — around three percent, and a significantly bigger project.

The community raises objections about a compromised public square, the proposed plaza that sits behind tall structures that block sunlight and intensify winds, raising doubts about whether it will function as a comfortable civic space in Jerusalem’s microclimate, as intended.

The community also objects to surpassing the already dominated skyline of the historic city with high rise development planned or under construction. Breaking the existing policy with a 50-storey development, threatens to further compromise both the city skyline – visible from the public and open spaces in the city.

The development raises concerns about a high-end real-estate venture that maximizes returns while offering thin layers of “green” or “public” features. The Hasbon project proposed greenery on terraces 50 floors up does not inherently make the project “green,” nor does it justify expanding building rights or increasing the built volume. Similarly, branding shaded plazas as “vibrant” public spaces does not guarantee they will serve their intended users, given the environmental and micro-climatic conditions of public spaces dominated by high-risers. The project, as currently presented, does not adequately reconcile developer objectives with Jerusalem’s civic, environmental, and cultural needs.

This no doubt is a moment of decision. As the objection period comes to a close, the community’s message is consistent and measured: the question is not whether to build, but how to build responsibly and in a way that serves the city and the community. Jerusalem needs seismic reinforcement, affordable housing, and quality public space. But it also needs to preserve the values that make it one of the world’s most cherished cities. Good urban development can achieve both — respecting community, climate, heritage, and daily life.

Jerusalem has repeatedly shown that planning is strongest when residents, professionals, and decision-makers work collaboratively and all voices are heard. The Hasbon development offers an opportunity to reaffirm this approach. A project of this scale should enhance its surroundings, not overwhelm them; it should give more to the city than it takes. The city of Jerusalem and the local community deserve nothing less.

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Think of Islamic mud structures and more than likely the iconic Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali will come to mind. The largest mud brick building in the world, the mosque is considered to be amongst the greatest achievement of Sudano-Swahelian architecture and one of the most famous landmarks of Africa.

But it’s not only Africa that boasts impressive (and sustainable) mud structures, the Middle East is home to some of the most stunning mud buildings in the world. From Shibam – the Manhattan of the Desert – in Yemen to the Bam citadel of Iran, these mud structures show that there’s more to Muslim architecture than Mecca and Masdar.

Why is Mud Building Sustainable?

For thousands of years, mud has been used as building material because it’s cheap, widely available and durable. Although many question its durability, there are numerous ancient mud buildings which have withstood the test of time. Mud construction is also an extremely environmentally-friendly method as it creates little waste, there is minimal energy consumption (mostly in the construction and transportation process), and it is easy to maintain and recycle.

In fact, Hassan Fathy, who has been hailed as the Middle East’s father of sustainable architecture and was behind eco-projects such as the Gourna village in Egypt wrote: “For centuries, the peasant had been wisely and quietly exploiting the obvious building material, while we, with our modern school-learned ideas, never dreamed of using such a ludicrous substance as mud for so serious a creation as a house.”

Modern Living in the City of Shibam

Yemen is home to one of the most impressive, one of the oldest and also one of the tallest mud cities in the world. Before the city scrapers of New York, the city of Shibam had built high rise apartments out of mud which tower to over 100 feet and are between 5 and 11 storeys high.

Dating back to around the 2nd century CE, the city was built using local clay and is still home to around 7,000 residents who live in the fortified city.

Although it is over 2,000 years old, rain and erosion necessitates constant maintenance, which efforts are now supported by restoration and urban development programs. Nicknamed Manhattan of the Desert, the city is testament to the durability of mud not just for single structures but also for modern high-rise living.

Another impressive city made of mud is Bam in Iran. Built using mud bricks known as adobe, the Bam tower or citadel (Arg-e-Bam) is believed to have been the largest adobe building in the world and was built over 2,000 years ago.

At its peak, the city served as a site of pilgrimage and was the trading centre of the Silk Road, which brought goods from the Far East to the capitals of Europe. Sadly, an earthquake in 2003 destroyed a large part of the historic city (around 70%) and killed over 26,000 people. There were more later showing that earth architecture has some limits.

Mud Castles, Walls and Mosques

Other notable mud structures in the wider Muslim world include the Bob Dioulasso Grand Mosque in Burkina Faso, and the Khiva Wall in Uzbekistan, which is built around a collection of Islamic schools and mosques. The Siwa Oasis in Egypt (which we visited and posted about here) and the Eastern Castle in Syria have also employed mud bricks in their construction, and research shows that the famous walls of Jericho were built using sun-dried mud bricks.

Whilst these mud buildings may seem like something of the past, they are in fact increasingly considered as options for low-carbon and low-cost construction. As well as having a small footprint, mud structures have been shown to reduce energy consumption as they are able to regulate temperature.

Hopefully mud architecture will not only decorate our past, but our future too.

Image of Great Mosque in Mali via Juan Manuel Garcia and image of Bisham in Yemen by Aysegul Tastaban.

Updated 2025

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Not a trend, and not just a community: why Lagoon Valley’s green build may be the blueprint for sustainable living

As the winds of change blow through housing markets and climate conversations alike, more people are asking how—and where—to live in ways that reflect their deepest values. For those seeking community, conservation, and connection, a quiet revolution is taking shape in Northern California. #Vanlife had its day, and global nomadism is lonely. Lagoon Valley might be the natural next step for people looking to live sustainably in a regular-sized green home and community.  

We first reported on Lagoon Valley in 2022 when the idea of a sustainable, conservation community on the edge of Vacaville sounded more like a dream than a blueprint. Readers loved the idea of a local community farm within walking distance, and neighbors sharing similar conservation values, like farm-to-table and community supported agriculture without having to join a cult or commune. Now, after years of planning, the vision has become reality—and the Lagoon Valley model is gaining international attention and we have an exclusive interview with its lead developer and dreamer Curt Johansen. 

85% wild, 100% intentional

The homes—ranging from cottage-style bungalows to age-qualified residences with ADUs—follow rigorous green build principles. They’re designed to meet or exceed California’s already high standards for energy and water efficiency, integrating solar, thermal-pane windows, energy-star appliances, and wastewater-saving systems. 

But Lagoon Valley goes beyond checklists and LEED points for green builds. It’s an experiment in sustainability and conservation communities as a lived experience. A walkable town center, an upcoming organic farm-to-table hub, and clustered neighborhoods that reduce land disturbance are just some of the features aimed at helping residents reconnect with the land and each other. And it’s a place which considers all ages and all kinds of people from families with babies and toddlers to teens and seniors. 

A shift in values, not just real estate

From Europe to the Pacific Northwest, we’ve been tracking the rise of conservation communities—places where long-term ecological thinking drives planning, not short-term gains. Lagoon Valley adds a uniquely Californian flavor to this trend, blending progressive design with deep ecological awareness. It’s not just a real estate offering, it’s a cultural reset.

Conservation has too often been outsourced or compartmentalized. Lagoon Valley developers are saying, what if it’s central? What if your home, your walk, your food, your school, your view—what if all of that is part of the regenerative whole?

Be inspired by our in-depth interview with Curt Johansen, where we dig deeper into the lessons Lagoon Valley offers for the future of green build communities. We’ll explore how developers, planners, and residents alike can reclaim stewardship—and why this model may hold the key to a more sustainable, meaningful way of life.

Curt Johansen is the Development Director of Lagoon Valley, Northern California’s first conservation community. A longtime advocate of sustainable development, Johansen brings decades of experience designing and managing environmentally responsible, mixed-use communities across California. 

He is a founding partner of UrbanSmart Growth and has led major projects such as Bay Street in Emeryville and the redevelopment of American Canyon in Napa County. His work is rooted in the principles of Reconciliation Ecology—integrating human communities within natural ecosystems—and emphasizes long-term stewardship, biodiversity, and affordable housing. Johansen is known for championing patient capital and regenerative land-use models that prioritize people, place, and planet.

Green Prophet: You’ve said Lagoon Valley turns traditional development ‘on its head.’ What does true land stewardship look like when people are no longer separate from nature, but part of the ecosystem?

A: True land stewardship in Lagoon Valley means recognizing that humans are an integral part of the ecosystem, not separate from it. Instead of dominating or circumventing nature, we actively work to integrate our community within wildlife habitat corridors. Inspired by the principles of “Reconciliation Ecology,” Lagoon Valley minimizes its impact on the environment while allowing residents to learn from and coexist with diverse species of native plants and animals. 

Lagoon Valley becomes a living laboratory where residents reconnect with nature through activities like hiking, birdwatching, and biodiverse agriculture — revitalizing our innate “biophilia,” or love of nature. This not only preserves biodiversity but also enhances residential quality of life, making Lagoon Valley a pioneering model for community-driven, harmonious coexistence with nature.

How did your team ensure that the cultural and ecological memory of the land guided development, not just the economic bottom line?

A: Significant time and financial resources were employed to understand culturally historical conditions, including the avoidance and mounding above obsidian flakes along with careful reconstruction of Native American stream locations. Also, extensive plant and wildlife habitat areas were restored to the master plan, in lieu of far more invasive prior development approvals, to remain as open spaces.

With 85% of the land preserved as open space, how do you measure success—not just in terms of real estate sales, but in community well-being and biodiversity?

A: Recognition by State biologists regarding the success of our new Wetland Preserve has been a strong measure of biodiversity flourishing. Our residents are consistently attracted to the community’s conservation/open space commitments, ranking community open space as the most prominent amenity of the community, and they are engaged with actively getting involved in conversations around ecological literacy.

How can Lagoon Valley become a replicable model for other developers, especially those working in climate-vulnerable regions where affordability and conservation often clash?

A: The potential for success with any attempt at a medium-to-large scale, live-work-play conservation community requires a willingness to cooperate with development innovation on the part of the municipal jurisdiction involved with oversight approvals. On the equity development side, the model is replicable when one has patient capital providers that understand the long-term value return from conservation communities. I have been blessed with two amazing partners who understand and support my work.

Community-Supported Agriculture and education programs are part of the plan. How do you see food, farming, and learning as tools for rebuilding human-nature relationships?

A: Over many years I have observed closely the effect Community Supported Agriculture has on neighborhoods that support their CSA. One important effect is resident bonding around farm-to-table, healthier family eating habits. When kids (and adults of all ages) experience the careful and hard work it takes to produce healthy vegetables and fruits, they also notice a big difference in quality between organic food locally grown from what they buy from the industrial ag system that ships food products an average of 1,300 miles each day and loses to spoil almost one-third of its output. 

I had the great pleasure of meeting Wendell Berry to glean what insight I could from his inimitable wisdom regarding proper farming, and it was transformative. He helped me understand that true knowledge of place is intrinsically tethered to a true knowledge of local agriculture, and that for farmers who bring to the local market products from quality soil, without pesticides or herbicides, without pollution, grown and harvested with labor paid a living wage, it is worth the small extra cost to residents because of the long-term benefits to their health and the “social community glue” CSAs provide.

In your view, what role do residents play in shaping and sustaining this vision? How do you cultivate a sense of responsibility beyond just living in a ‘green’ neighborhood?

A: Fostering sustainable behaviors in green communities still requires altering existing behaviors, and that comes from instilling a problem-solving, communally-activated approach to prompting healthier behaviors. When resident leaders are trained to present win-win outcomes for their neighbors, it can be inspiring to see how positive outcomes can be recognized and emulated. Creating opportunities for environmental volunteerism in activities that appeal to neighbors helps residents to get to know the open spaces surrounding them more intimately, which in turn invests them in taking greater care of these sacred places.

What advice would you offer to cities or developers who want to transition from extractive models of building toward regenerative, community-centered development?

A: If I had the power to do so, I would require every land developer and every public servant with influence in land planning to visit existing conservation communities and see the difference over time between how home values appreciate instead of depreciate and how residents are generally happier in their neighborhoods. So many of us suffer in varying degrees from the idea of Nature Deficit Disorder. Physically visiting and interacting with residents living in sustainable communities is paradigm-shifting.

We often hear concerns that sustainable communities might sacrifice resale value or long-term investment. What are you seeing—or expecting—when it comes to property value in a place like Lagoon Valley, where ecological integrity is part of the design?

A: Home resale values in successful conservation communities typically outpace the overall market. A good example close to Lagoon Valley is Village Homes in Davis, CA, which has been around for almost 50 years and continues to thrive both ecologically and financially for its residents who are passionate about preserving the many sustainable features embedded in their community’s planning. Other notable conservation communities that have thrived in many ways, including the appreciation of home values, include Prairie Crossing just north of Chicago and Serenbe, just south of Atlanta, to name a few. Sustainability in communities is increasingly seen as long-term enhancement of property values, whereas depreciation is still the norm in many markets where the negative long-term social impacts of conventional, unsustainable development increase over time.

Do you have a childhood memory of being in nature/wishing you were in nature that informs the work you do today? 

A: Until the age of 9, I was a city kid living in New York with lots of concrete in my neighborhood and not much nature. But I was fortunate to have relatives who owned a small family farm on Long Island, when one could take the train for a visit. I still recall vividly my first taste of an organically grown, vine-ripened tomato, many of which my Italian grandmother would use to make spaghetti sauce for the family. It was magnificent and I’ve never forgotten that revelation.

Thank you Curt! 

As cities face the twin pressures of climate instability and housing crises, Lagoon Valley reminds us that sustainability doesn’t mean sacrifice: it means design with intention. It’s a reminder that large-scale development, community and ecological integrity don’t have to be at odds. With 1,300 acres of preserved open space, a thriving local food vision, and a blueprint guided by civic participation, responsibility, and care, this new housing development project shows that living in harmony with nature isn’t just possible—it’s desirable.

To learn more about Lagoon Valley, visit their website: https://lagoon-valley.com/

The post Rewilding the Suburb: Lagoon Valley’s Profound Plan for Conservation Community in California–– An Interview with Developer Curt Johansen appeared first on Green Prophet.

Italians have grown fruit trees in containers for centuries, keeping them protected in special sheds during the winter.

Come spring, the trees are wheeled out to the sunshine again. While we can dream of owning an olive grove like the one we visited in the Galilee, olive trees successfully grow in pots too.

Assuming your climate suits the olive, you should acquire a sapling from a nursery or buy one online. Olive trees grown from pits revert to the original wild olive, and if they produce fruit at all, it will be wizened and not very good to eat. So don’t do it. Consult the nursery manager and choose the variety you’d like best. To maximize fruiting potential, you should actually have two of the same variety in the area. This may be impractical where there’s limited space, of course.

When to plant an olive tree in a pot?

Spring is the best time to re-pot the sapling into its permanent container. Tender saplings suffer under frost or harsh winter weather, so it’s best to transplant after all danger of frost has passed. When the temperature threatens to dip under 50°F/10ºC, the tree should be brought indoors. It may be taken out to enjoy the sunshine on warmer days. A trolley, on which the container stands permanently, is useful there.

Choose a spot that gets plenty of full sun and only partial shade. Have a clay pot about  2 feet/61 centimeters deep and the same width at the ready. No need for pebbles or other drainage device at the bottom. Pour enough soil in to cover the bottom thickly.  Knock the sapling out of its original container and place in the new pot. Fill the pot with soil  around the tree and make sure it stands stable. Water thoroughly.

Soil and watering olives trees in a container

Ordinary potting soil; no special fertilizers or compost at first. Wait until there are signs of growth in the following spring to add compost or concentrated fertilizer to the soil. Keep the soil lightly moist, but not over-watered. A mature tree can withstand drought, but until a sapling is established and thriving in its new environment, it needs light moisture.

Care of the tree

We recommend pruning with caution for the first four years: remove branches under 3 feet/91.5 centimeters as well as suckers. Others recommend watching for flowering and then pruning off the tips of the branches, above a pair of leaves, as well.

Plant hygiene

Watch out for scale infestation. Buy a natural insecticide product from the plant nursery. Traditional Mediterranean farmers whitewash the bottom half of the trunk to keep ants away. Weed out any wind-born seedlings the minute you notice them.

The next step is to enjoy the lovely sight of the  tree’s silvery-green foliage moving while the breeze rustles through it. Because it may take up to five years before it produces any fruit for you. You’ll need to discuss when you can expect fruit with the gardener at the nursery. But by then you and the tree will have become good friends, and the fruit will be a nice bonus.

If you can’t find local, search online for olive tree sapling delivery to your home. Once you get one growing you can grow clones from the original using patience or a rooting hormone.

What kind of olive tree to plant in a container?

Barnea, suri, kalamata? Your supermarket or farmer’s market usually offers a good variety of olives. Juicy green, black, brown or purple olives glistening in their own oil. Olives seasoned with chilies, lemons and herbs; olives pitted and left empty; olives stuffed with red pimentos; olives in brine or in wine marinade – enough olives to make your senses reel.

And like grape varieties for wine, there are more kinds of olives in the world than you’ll ever know. Every region where olives are grown yields a particular variety, each with its unique shape, size, and flavor. Get the low down on olive varieties here. Having problems? Check out the olive tree guide to longer-term

More about olive trees and olives:

• The World’s Oldest Olive Trees Are Lebanese
• Preserving Olives
• Olive Trees Have Kurdish Roots
• Olive Trees Go Hi-Tech And SMSFarmers When Thirsty

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The Irish philosopher George Berkely, best known for his theory of immaterialism, once famously mused, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

What about AI-generated trees? Probably wouldn’t make a sound, but critical nonetheless for things like conservation efforts to adapt our urban forests to climate change. To that end, scientists from MIT CSAIL, Google, and Purdue University’s novel “Tree-D Fusion” system merges AI and tree-growth models with Google’s Auto Arborist data to create accurate, 3D urban trees.

The project produced the first-ever large-scale database of 600,000 environmentally aware, simulation-ready tree models across North America. This helps urban planners understand where they can build more green lungs.  Cities like Toronto get a 17.5% green canopy, while Tel Aviv gets a 17%.

“We’re bridging decades of forestry science with modern AI capabilities,” says Sara Beery, MIT EECS Assistant Professor and MIT CSAIL Principal Investigator, a co-author on a new paper about Tree-D Fusion. “This allows us to not just identify trees in cities, but to predict how they’ll grow and impact their surroundings over time. We’re not ignoring the past 30 years of work in understanding how to build these 3D synthetic models, instead, we’re using AI to make this existing knowledge more useful across a broader set of individual trees in cities around North America, and eventually the globe.”

Tree-D Fusion builds on previous urban forest monitoring efforts that used Google Street View data, but branches it forward by generating complete 3D models from single images. While earlier attempts at tree modeling were limited to specific neighborhoods, or struggled with accuracy at scale, Tree-D Fusion can create detailed models that include typically hidden features, such as the back side of trees that aren’t visible in street-view photos.

AI trees and implications for making cities cooler, safer, better maintained

The technology’s practical applications extend far beyond mere observation.

City planners could use Tree-D Fusion to one day peer into the future, anticipating where growing branches might tangle with power lines, or identifying neighborhoods where strategic tree placement could maximize cooling effects and air quality improvements. They can map how trees might respond to climate change or stop catastrophic flooding. These predictive capabilities, the team says, could change urban forest management from reactive maintenance to proactive planning.

“This high level of specificity in tree simulation has broad applications in forestry, where species and genera vary in growth, ecological roles, and climate resilience,” says Jan Stejskal, Assistant Professor at Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, who wasn’t involved in the research. “Also, it enables city planners to simulate how urban forests affect air quality, shade, and biodiversity, helping optimize tree planting for urban cooling, carbon sequestration, and habitat creation, ultimately fostering more sustainable cities.”

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (and many other places) 

The researchers took a hybrid approach to their method, using deep learning to create a 3D envelope of each tree’s shape, then using traditional procedural models to simulate realistic branch and leaf patterns based on the tree’s genus. This combo helped the model predict how trees would grow under different environmental conditions and climate scenarios such as different possible local temperatures and varying access to groundwater.

Now, as cities worldwide grapple with rising temperatures, the research offers a new window into the future of urban forests. In a collaboration with MIT’s Senseable City Lab, the Purdue University and Google team is embarking on a global study that reimagines trees as living climate shields. Their digital modeling system captures the intricate dance of shade patterns throughout the seasons, revealing how strategic urban forestry could hopefully change sweltering city blocks into more naturally cooled neighborhoods.

“Every time a street mapping vehicle passes through a city now, we’re not just taking snapshots — we’re watching these urban forests evolve in real-time,” says Beery. “This continuous monitoring creates a living digital forest that mirrors its physical counterpart, offering cities a powerful lens to observe how environmental stresses shape tree health and growth patterns across their urban landscape.”

AI-based tree modeling has emerged as an ally in the quest for environmental justice: By mapping urban tree canopy in unprecedented detail, a sister project from the Google AI for Nature team has helped uncover disparities in green space access across different socioeconomic areas. “We’re not just studying urban forests — we’re trying to cultivate more equity,” says Beery. The team is now working closely with ecologists and tree health experts to refine these models, ensuring that as cities expand their green canopies, the benefits branch out to all residents equally.

While Tree-D fusion marks some major “growth” in the field, trees can be uniquely challenging for computer vision systems. Unlike the rigid structures of buildings or vehicles that current 3D modeling techniques handle well, trees are nature’s shape-shifters — swaying in the wind, interweaving branches with neighbors, and constantly changing their form as they grow. The Tree-D fusion models are “simulation ready” in that they can estimate the shape of the trees in the future, depending on the environmental conditions.

“What makes this work exciting is how it pushes us to rethink fundamental assumptions in computer vision,” says Beery. “While 3D scene understanding techniques like photogrammetry or NERF excel at capturing static objects, trees demand new approaches that can account for their dynamic nature, where even a gentle breeze can dramatically alter their structure from moment to moment.”

The team’s approach of creating rough structural envelopes that approximate each tree’s form has proven remarkably effective, but certain issues remain unsolved. Perhaps the most vexing is the “entangled tree problem”, when neighboring trees grow into each other, their intertwined branches create a puzzle that no current AI system can fully unravel.

The scientists see their dataset as a springboard for future innovations in computer vision, and they’re already exploring applications beyond street view imagery, looking to extend their approach to platforms like iNaturalist and wildlife camera traps.

“This marks just the beginning for Tree-D Fusion,” says Jae Joong Lee, a Purdue University PhD student who developed, implemented and deployed the Tree-D-Fusion algorithm. “Together with my collaborators, I envision expanding the platform’s capabilities to a planetary scale. Our goal is to use AI-driven insights in service of natural ecosystems – supporting biodiversity, promoting global sustainability, and ultimately, benefiting the health of our entire planet.”

::Treepedia

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In a world increasingly concerned about the health of our planet, it is important to recognize positive environmental news that showcases efforts to protect and restore the Earth. 

From conservation breakthroughs to sustainable innovations, here are ten uplifting environmental stories that bring hope for a brighter future!

Reforestation Success in Brazil: 

In Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, a massive reforestation project has led to the recovery of 500,000 acres of land, equivalent to the size of Singapore. By planting native tree species and employing sustainable agricultural practices, the initiative is reversing deforestation and providing habitat for endangered wildlife.

Solar Power Surpasses Global Milestone: 

In 2023, the world celebrated a remarkable achievement as solar power surpassed 1 terawatt (1 trillion watts) of installed capacity. This milestone represents a significant step towards reducing reliance on fossil fuels and achieving a more sustainable energy future.

Net Zero Laws in Switzerland 

Swiss citizens have scored a climate victory by voting in favor of a new climate law. The law aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, addressing the alarming glacier melt and paving the way for climate neutrality. This significant step shows how people in Switzerland are taking charge of their future and working towards a better environment for future generations.

Ocean Cleanup Success: 

The Ocean Cleanup Project, a nonprofit organization focused on removing plastic debris from the ocean (remember Boyan Slatt), reported a significant reduction in plastic waste. Their innovative system deployed in the Great Pacific. Garbage patch has successfully collected millions of pounds of plastic, contributing to cleaner oceans.

Cities Pledge to Go Carbon Neutral: 

Several major cities worldwide, including Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Helsinki, have pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Through renewable energy adoption, sustainable transportation, and energy-efficient buildings, these cities are leading the way in the fight against climate change.

New Marine Protected Areas: 

In a joint effort, over 50 countries recently established the largest marine protected area in the Atlantic Ocean, covering 4.5 million square kilometers. This conservation initiative aims to safeguard biodiversity, marine habitats, and critical ecosystems.

The Biden Administration Efforts to Safeguard Endangered Species 

The Biden Administration is making efforts to safeguard endangered species from the threat of extinction caused by human activities. They have taken important actions to restore endangered species regulations, ensuring the protection of habitats and at-risk wildlife. This move is vital for preserving biodiversity and securing healthy ecosystems for future generations. Although more work remains, it marks a significant achievement for the protection of US ecosystems.

Record Growth in Electric Vehicles: 

The electric vehicle (EV) industry experienced a record-breaking year, with global EV sales surpassing 10 million units. This surge signals a shift towards sustainable transportation and decreased carbon emissions from the automotive sector.

Wind and Solar Energy’s Global Power

Wind and solar energy are set to become a significant source of global power, making up 33% of electricity production by 2030, according to a report from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). This development indicates that the energy sector is on track to meet the necessary changes to address global climate objectives. Sultan al-Jaber, president of COP28, the next UN climate summit, previously urged a threefold increase in renewable energy generation by 2030 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve the targets set in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

Stay positive and hopeful! Together, we can make a real impact in preserving our planet for generations to come. Let’s celebrate these achievements and stay dedicated to sustainable practices, creating a more resilient and balanced world for all.

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Cycling is a great sport enjoyed by many people all over the world. Cycling is an affordable, eco-friendly way to travel, explore and can be used to get about on a variety of terrains in many different weather conditions. 

Whatever your reason is for cycling, be it to commute to work, to partake in an adrenaline filled adventure or for a brisk weekend ride, there are many facts about cycling that we wanted to share with you.

1) You can fit up to 15 bicycles in the same space a car would occupy

Our first fact highlights multiple benefits of cycling. Firstly, cycling is a great way to reduce traffic, this helps to make journeys faster for all. The reason why cycling reduces traffic is because bikes take up a lot less space on the road than what a car does. Secondly, and more importantly, cycling is a great way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To put into perspective, riding a bicycle accounts for only 21g of CO2 emissions, which is ten times less than a car produces. This means that the more people who switch from using a car to a bicycle, the less CO2 is released into the atmosphere.  

2) it is 20 times cheaper to maintain a bicycle than a car

You heard it here first, it’s pretty obvious, we all know cars can be a money pit. It doesn’t matter whether you buy a new car or an old car, either way you are more or less going to have to spend money on it again for one reason or another. Although a bike does need to be maintained and things can go wrong, a bicycle is much cheaper to maintain and what’s more is that you can maintain it yourself fairly easily.

There are amazing resources out there nowadays meaning within minutes you can find a how to guide, a video or an affordable course to teach you everything you need to know to fix or maintain your bike. One company who provides useful cycling maintenance tips, tricks and step by step guides is Cycle Maintenance Academy.

3) The same energy that is expended for walking can be used when cycling to go three times faster.

Many people assume that cycling requires a lot more effort than walking, however, research indicates that the same amount of energy that is expended for walking can be used in cycling. What people don’t know is that for the same energy required to walk, you can cycle and significantly travel 3x faster. 

Many people assume that cycling requires a lot more effort than walking, however, research indicates that the same amount of energy that is expended for walking can be used in cycling. What people don’t know is that for the same energy required to walk, you can cycle and significantly travel 3x faster, and there are plenty of natural cycling recovery supplements around for optimal muscle recovery and hydration, with options like coconut water and electrolyte-rich fruits among the most popular. 

4) 40% of all Amsterdam’s commutes are made on a bike

If you have ever been lucky enough to visit the stunning city of Amsterdam, its hard to miss the mounds of bicycles all over the city, stored in ‘car park’ style areas dedicated to parking up and securing your bicycle. It’s a well known fact that in Amsterdam you have to look out for Bikes probably more so than cars when crossing the road because they’re so agile they can seem to appear from nowhere. Remember to listen out for the ringing of a bicycle bell approaching warning you to stay or move out of their way. Interestingly, Amsterdam is a particularly clean city, which makes us wonder if that 40% of commuters who travel by bike are really making a difference and the impact it could have if 40% of the global population were to commute via bicycle instead of by car. 

5) The energy and resources used to create one single car can be used for the creation of up to 100 bicycles.

Most of the facts that we’ve discussed so far have demonstrated that cycling is most definitely an environmentally friendly alternative that more of us should consider. Even more significantly is the resources used in the production process of a car and how using that same amount of energy could be utilized to make 100 bicycles. 

Overview of cycling facts

We hope this article has helped give you a better insight into cycling and the huge difference it can make to our carbon footprint. Maybe you may now consider the benefits of choosing to commute to work via bicycle instead of by car. Hopefully, as cities work hard to integrate better cycle routes, the cars on the road will decrease along with the pollution we create.

The post 5 fast facts about cycling appeared first on Green Prophet.

Our world is evolving at a rapid pace, and innovation seems to be happening daily. We are used to seeing a lot of modern cities while traveling. With the rise of the internet and smart technology, the applications for it increase as well. These days you can find just about everyone connected with a smart device, and even whole homes are designed around it. Just like out of an old science fiction story, the impossible is happening.

Now we are looking at entire cities that are connected via smart technology. Even just 20 years ago, this was something the average person wouldn’t have thought was just around the corner. Smart technology has changed the game, but is that always going to be a good thing?

Smart Cities on the Rise

There are more smart cities around the globe than the average person may think, and they are doing things that you wouldn’t even be aware of. Some of the most advanced smart cities in the world are as follows.

New York City, USA

New York is one of the world’s largest cities, boasting a population just shy of 9 million people. They have been ahead of the curve when talking about implementing smart technology for many years now and have major plans. One of the most interesting uses they have deployed is on the water system.

A city this size goes through a fantastic amount of water every year, and reading all of the meters was a huge undertaking. With smart technology, they have automated the meter reading process and allowed the average citizen to be more hands-on and focused on their water consumption.

Tokyo, Japan

The Asian-Pacific region has a love for technology and adapting it in new and innovative ways. Tokyo has had its fair share of technological booms, and they were one of the first to start implementing smart technology throughout the city. The entire city has always had a feeling like it was ahead of its time with the atmosphere alone.

Some of the more interesting uses they have for a smart connected city have been put in place due to the upcoming Olympic Games. Security around the city is backed by biometric authentication, like facial recognition. They are also deploying an entire fleet of driverless taxis connected directly to the traffic system.

The Sky’s the Limit

It is amazing how far some of these smart cities have come in such a short time, and there is no limit to what can be implemented. Traffic has been affected by this innovation, with cities worldwide using it to make their traffic lights as efficient as possible. The tech will adapt when there are variables thrown in, such as an accident, and keep traffic flowing.

The eventual goal is to have everybody in self-driving smart cars on smart roads and highways that take out the human factor. Smart technology can take human-made errors out of the driving equation, making roads much safer for everyone. Minimizing traffic accidents is one small part of what a capable smart city could do.

The United Kingdom has been installing CCTV systems throughout cities for many years now, and smart technology is making it much more effective. They can deploy to emergencies at a much more effective rate thanks to their CCTV paired with smart technology.

What About Your Privacy?

Is all of this convenience and efficiency worth it for the average citizen or tourist? With privacy concerns being at the forefront of technology talk these days, you may be concerned with security. There is always someone or something looking to collect some type of information from you, and smart technology is not going to decrease this.

There are ways to help alleviate concern when looking at privacy and security in our modern age. For example, to protect your connections at a smart home, you can always set up a VPN on your router, as this is going to be an extra layer of protection for everything on your network. A VPN free trial can be very useful if you want to improve your online safety.

This type of service will encrypt all of your data through their network and hide your location from snoopers. But it doesn’t help when you are watched by devices you have no control of.

Stay Safe While Traveling

While this may seem like a wild theory, there is evidence that criminals can hack these smart systems. The thought of having an entire city shut down due to hackers is scary, and the cities need to focus more on security technology before advancing.

The Future is Smart

The internet and smart technology are here to stay. There are major benefits for having all of this connectedness, and with the right people designing things, they certainly outweigh any pitfalls. If cities take their time and keep security at the forefront, smart cities will completely change the way we live and travel.

The post Smart Cities: Examples, Pros & Cons, and More appeared first on Green Prophet.

A new girlfriend, once interning for O., Oprah’s magazine, lent me an old review copy of Life in Code, by Ellen Ullman. It’s a series of essays by Silicon Valley programmer and author Ullman, one of the rare women who helped build the early days of computer programming, that which our future world of artificial intelligence will be built on. I know from my work founding a tech startup (read Mountain Thinking) that the coders who build algorithms today, are creating the foundations of tomorrow. 

In her book Ullman explores the personality that engineers transmit to their code. She explores the racism, sexism, classism that pervaded and still pervades Silicon Valley. She tells us how programs built 40 years ago by the world’s first coders are inexorably intwined with the foundations of every new line of code written today. 

Knowing the implications of having a 27-year-old guy who drinks Soylent and who can barely speak to real people –– building the foundations of machine learning and artificial intelligence –– is frightening.

While I don’t wish the life of a coder on anyone – it can be isolating, disconnected from reality, anxiety-inducing –– I do wish that those who go for it come with a set of values that embrace whole planet thinking. How? We need equal opportunities in teaching people how to code. (Read our past story on anglers in A.I.) And we need that code to consider religion, gender, age, opinions, fake news, real news, the language of plants…animals, minerals.

And that is why I like to hear about cities that stand up and teach code to anyone who is not like them.

Asylum seekers to Israel from violent countries like Sudan and Eritrea have had a challenging time integrating into Israel. They’ve crossed deserts, evaded live fire at the Egyptian border –- yet have never really felt at home in the Promised Land.

Social projects in Neve Shaanan

A new project by the City of Tel Aviv-Jaffa is offering a coding course to selected refugees, giving them a jumpstart to a new career path. And in my eyes a chance to influence the machine. 

The program is launched by The Platform, a municipal entrepreneurship center located in Tel Aviv’s Neve Shaanan neighborhood, and PresenTense, a social entrepreneurship program in Israel.

Neve Shaanan is the same neighbourhood as the location of the hydroponic urban farm project for refugees. 

The coding program is organized in close partnership with the African Refugee Development Center, a non-profit founded in 2004 by asylum seekers and Israeli citizens to empower African refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers. 

The 10-week coding course provides basic coding in Python and entrepreneurial skills to asylum seekers who wish to pursue future studies in the field.

A pilot welcomed a total of 10 students, who were selected from a pool of over 50 applicants following a basic computer and logic skills test, and an interview. All 10 students completed the course successfully and expressed interest in pursuing advanced-level coding programs in future.

Fisseha Tsegai Tesfamichael, an asylum seeker from Eritrea and graduate of the course said, “My hope for the future is to teach young people from my community and share with them what I know and have experienced. The journey of life is short, so let’s make the world better together.”

Shana Krakowski, director of The Platform said: “The dedication of the students in the course exceeded our expectations, with students never missing a class and improving their skills in such a short time. We hope this will be the first of many.”

The course was guided by Ismail Kharoub, a self-taught coder and successful entrepreneur from Jaffa who was able to teach participants in Arabic, Hebrew and English. 

While some students hope that the course will represent their first step toward a tech career, others ultimately hope to start their own businesses building websites or their own applications.

Others aim to transfer their newly acquired knowledge to their respective communities, narrowing digital divides and expanding sought-after opportunities to enter a hi-tech industry that has remained resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can now find coding workshops all over the world. One of the best workshops I have been exposed to is General Assembly in New York. But you can find classes and mentors at community colleges and online everywhere. Founded by an Israeli, there is also a tuition-free degree and diploma program at University of the People. 

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Good science is about using evidence, data, and hard facts to make assessments about our reality. It’s not perfect, but with enough peer review on each finding, we have been able to discover core truths about our world that would have otherwise remained a mystery.

One of those truths is the growth in both quantity and severity of air pollution. Just two hundred and fifty years ago, smog in the world’s major cities was virtually unheard of.  Only the areas around the largest mines and refineries were truly polluted.  In the cities, where horses were the only source of transportation and oil had yet to be refined en masse, the air was vastly cleaner than it is today.

The industrial revolution, the rise of oil and coal as fuel, and the introduction of toxic chemicals have led to a sharp decrease in the average safety of the air around us.  In China, for example, air pollution is leading to almost a million premature deaths per year.  

Air pollution has been getting slightly better over the years, thanks to regulations on emissions from vehicles and factories, along with key innovations in emissions control and renewable energy.  But there’s another factor in the control of air pollution that few things about – air purification.

Earlier this year, Delhi installed a 20 foot tall air purification tower in its popular Lajpat Nagar market.  The tower draws in air, cleans it, and then distributes it back into the market.  The visitors to this market enjoy cleaner smelling air, and lower risk of lung damage and disease as a direct result of the construction of the tower.  Similar towers have been built, or are being planned, all over the world.  Air purification on a large scale is a practical method for clearing up our air and returning it to its natural state.

But what about air purification on a small scale?  Most people have a form of air filtration in their homes that they completely forget about.  If you have a home HVAC system, your AC is filtered constantly through the air filter, giving you cleaner air as you go about your day.  All of the air that is in your house right now was once air from outside.  This means that, when you open a door or window, polluted outside air is getting into your home.  Contaminants can even be tracked in with clothing and shoes.  Scented candles, cooking, and dust also contribute to the pollution in your home.

This means your air indoor can be just as polluted as the air outside.  In fact, studies have shown that can be even more polluted, since contaminants can get trapped and concentrated more easily.  There’s evidence that air pollution indoors is around 2 to 5 times more severe than pollution outside, with some homes (particularly those with smokers) showing pollution levels of 100 times the safe outdoor limit.

How can we counteract this?  How can we protect our family’s lungs from harmful chemicals and smog?

The easiest and cheapest answer is to invest in a higher-grade air filter.  Air filters are ranked by their MERV rating.  MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a number that measures how effective a filter is at grabbing small particles.

A MERV of 1 to 4 characterizes a filter which can only trap 20% of particles with a diameter of fewer than 10 microns.  A MERV of 8 can trap around 70% of those particles.

MERV 11s are a sweet spot, balancing cost with effectiveness.  They trap about 85% of particles smaller than 10 microns in diameter.

For those with more sensitive lungs, a MERV of 14 can filter out 90% of particles under 3 microns in diameter.

For specialized clean rooms, Ultra Low Particulate Air Filters with MERVs of 20 or higher filter out 99.99997% of particles smaller than 1 micron in diameter.

Indoor air pollution usually consists of smoke particles and aromatic particles.  In order to combat it, you’ll need a MERV of at least 13, which can easily be purchased and delivered from air filter stores like Filter King.  Prices vary by store, but you can expect to spend around $30 or $40.  Buying in bulk, as with most things, gives you a cheaper per unit price.

But a high MERV number is only half the battle when fighting your indoor air pollution.  The other half is the frequency with which your air is cycled through the fitler.  The best MERV in the world does nothing if no air goes through it.

We measure air movement with cycles per hour, which is calculated by dividing the volume of air an HVAC system is passing through itself by the volume of air in a given room.

The higher number of air cycles per hour, or ACH, the cleaner your air will be.  If you can sacrifice some electricity, leaving your AC on higher and longer will help reduce the amount of pollution in your home.

It also helps to turn on your fans, which will mix the air in your home and prevent one area from trapping contaminants.

Pollution is bad, both inside and out.  Outdoor pollution can be fixed with technical innovation and regulation.  But indoor pollution is something each individual must focus on in their own home.  By buying a better filter and allowing your air to cycle more continuously, you make the active decision to protect your family and guests from harmful contaminants.

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