A quick look at some of the things that makes sizzling summer days in your city intolerable (or not): Percentage of Earth’s surface covered by urban area: 3 First year UHI (Urban Heat Island) effect was discovered: 1810 Number of times concrete can hold more heat than equivalent volume of air: 2000 Percentage of New York’s...
A quick look at some of the things that make Urban Vertical Farming in your city work (or not): Average distance ingredient in a meal in US is grown away from home: 1500 miles Amount of energy global industrial food system accounts for in worldwide fossil fuel consumption: 21% Number of farmer markets in US...
A quick look at some of the things that make Parking in your city work (or not): Most expensive parking spot in Toronto: $100,000 Most expensive city to park: London Cost of Ferrari 458 Italia: $320,000 USD Cost of parking spot near Harrods in London: $320,000 USD Cost of parking per hour: $7 Time...
A quick look at some of the things that make Maglevs work (or not): Year maglev trains were first patented: 1934 Years until first commercial maglev available: 50 Year the world’s first commercial high-speed maglev opened in Shanghai: 2004 Energy consumption of high speed rail travelling at a speed of 300km/hr: 51 watt hours per...
A quick look at some of the things that make free public transportation work (or not): Arguably, the most successful free public transportation initiatives in the world: Hasselt, Belgium Year free public transportation was first implemented there: 1996 Cost per household to implement free transportation in Hasselt: 22.64 Euros ($32 USD) Urban bus rides per year before free...
A quick look at some of the things that make small (or big) space living work (or not): American home size in 1950: 983 sq.ft. Minimum home size in New York State: 900 sq.ft. In Hillsborough, California: 2500sq.ft. How to stick it to the man (i.e. Hillsborough): Home on wheels Size: 130 sq.ft. Year...
A quick look at some of the things that make intercity bus travel work (or not): Fastest growing form of intercity travel: Buses Number of intercity bus trips in 1960: 140 million In 1990: 40 million % decrease in intercity bus service between 1980-2002: 50.6% “Curbside” bus carrier – Megabus – inauguration date: 2006...
A quick look at some of the things that make petrol pricing and transport work (or not): World’s largest proven oil reserves: Venezuela World’s cheapest gasoline: Venezuela Cost: $0.02/L ($1.40/L in Toronto) Cost to fill up Hummer: $1.50 US Average driving speeds in Caracas: 11-15 km/h Last year roads were built: 1970 Number of cars...
A quick look at some of the things that make transportation subsidization work (or not): Transit subsidy: Difference between operating costs and passenger fare revenues Range of rail transit operating cost subsidies in US: 29-89% Bus transit: 57-89% Transit subsidy in LA: 82% Washington: 76% Average public transit operating costs per passenger mile for peak...
A quick look at some of the things that make solar energy work (or not): Percentage of electricity in US supplied by solar: <1% Number of times more solar panels installed in Germany than US: 3x Number of times more solar energy produced by Italy than the US: 3x Record high cost for a barrel...