How much should Ottawa sprawl as it seeks space for 500,000 more people? - EUROPE SAYS

https://www.europesays.com/2954206/

#urbanExploration #urbanSprawl #Ottawa

How the Government Built the American Dream House

U.S. housing policy claims to promote homeownership. Instead, it encourages high prices, sprawl, and NIMBYism.

The New Atlantis

3 #African Cities Restore #Nature to Revitalize Their #Rivers

By Eden Takele, Marc Manyifika, Japheth Habinshuti, Adane Kebede, Alemakef Tassew, Amanda Gcanga, Mulalo Mbedzi and Nikara Mahadeo, March 12, 2025

"Africa’s cities, from large metropolises to smaller towns, are increasingly characterized by growing #UrbanSprawl. #Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, is expanding by about 2,000 people and 5 hectares (10 football fields) every day, according to a World Bank estimate. #Kumasi, an intermediary city in #Ghana, is growing more than 5% every year — at least twice as fast as the capital city, Accra.

As cities and surrounding farmlands expand further into their hinterlands, they encroach upon watersheds essential to water supply and climate resilience.

Watersheds are the natural area of land that drain into a common body of water. The consequences of their degradation are threefold. Without tree cover and healthy soils to absorb rainfall, cities may lose a critical source for groundwater recharge, leading to water shortages. Not only does the quantity of water suffer, so does its quality. Without strong roots to protect and anchor the soil, sediment and the chemicals within it are washed into nearby water bodies, often the primary source for a city’s drinking water. That same runoff can turn into floodwater.

How Natural Infrastructure Supports #WaterSecurity.

Many cities that once depended on their watersheds for water now face both increasing scarcity and heightened vulnerability to #extremeWeather. There are, however, #NatureBasedSolutions to help alleviate these problems.

Through a combination of upland foresting and urban greening, watershed restoration efforts are starting to deliver positive results in three African cities..."

Read more:
https://www.wri.org/insights/nature-based-solutions-river-restoration-african-cities

#SolarPunkSunday #DireDawa #Ethiopia #Kigali #Rwanda #NyabarangoRiver #Africa #MoreTrees #RiverRestoration #WaterIsLife #ClimateChange

3 African Cities Restore Nature to Revitalize Their Rivers

African cities are sprawling into their forested watersheds, harming their water supplies in the process. That's why Kigali, Rwanda; Dire Dawa, Ethiopia; and Johannesburg, South Africa are re-greening their landscapes.

World Resources Institute
Behold this immutable fact of city-building. We've always built the most expensive way possible. Previous council took real, bold steps to fix this. New council debating repeal. In it's place, what? Anything? Another panel? Another study? #Housing #Rezoning #yyc #yyccc #Sprawl #UrbanSprawl #Density

I think #GorhamME needs to fire their town government officials! WTF! Also, if Amazon builds their warehouse, you can bet they'll be pushing for the #GorhamConnector as well, which will bring more #UrbanSprawl!!!

Gorham residents push back against #AmazonWarehouse proposal

by Bonnie Bishop, Feb 26, 2026

GORHAM, #Maine — "Gorham residents are trying to prevent Amazon from becoming their new neighbor as a proposal to build a warehouse in the town continues to loom.

"The backlash comes despite the town already giving the company the green light to build a nearly 160,000 square foot warehouse. An Amazon spokesperson said the new facility would create economic growth in Gorham. [BULLSHIT!!!]

"Dozens of Gorham residents gathered Thursday to air their concerns about the project.

" 'I think that this deal is a bad deal for Gorham. It is going to create a lot of negative impacts for the town,' Gorham resident Josh Trombley said. 'We're not going to see a lot of benefit in terms of tax revenue.'

"Anne Bilodeau lives on Shamrock Drive, right up against where the project is set to be developed. She said she worries about more traffic and noise surrounding the neighborhood she's lived in for over 20 years.

" 'I can't imagine opening a window in the summertime anymore with that back there,' Bilodeau said.

"The Gorham Town Council said yes to Amazon's proposal to buy roughly 94 acres for about $4 million over the summer. The citizens' group, #GorhamUnited, said Amazon hasn't finalized the sale and they see why an opportunity to stop it."

Read more:
https://www.wmtw.com/article/gorham-residents-push-back-against-amazon-warehouse-proposal/70525740

#MainePol #TrafficPollution #NoisePollution #ResistBigTech #ResistAmazon

City of Light

From the observation deck on top of the immensely ugly Tour Montparnasse in Paris, you have two major advantages: firstly, from the tower you don't actually see the skyscraper itself, and secondly, the top floor offers an amazing view over the city.

This was on July 14, or Bastille Day. My next upload will be a shot from the firework and drone show from and around the Tour Eiffel.

📷 5D Mark IV · 24-70mm
⚙️ 39mm · f/8 · ISO 1600 · 1/4s
📆 2025-07-14 · 22:22

#city #cityview #citylights #citylife #bigcity #urban #urbansprawl #urbanphotography #urbanlandscape #landscapephotography #roads #veins #evening #eveningsky #bluehour #nightphotography #canon #5dmarkiii #2470mm #france #paris #tourmontparnasse #observationdeck #toureiffel #eiffeltower #quatorzejuillet #bastilleday

#Florida #WildlifeCorridor linking #StateParks would thwart #development

#LoxaLucie Headwaters Initiative aims to buy #HobeSound land for conservation.

by Timothy O'Hara, Jan. 2, 2026

"At a time when development pressure is pushing north into rural Martin County, conservation groups want to protect a wildlife corridor between two state parks in Hobe Sound.

"The Loxa-Lucie Headwaters Initiative was founded to protect the ecologically important corridor between #AtlanticRidgePreserve State Park and #JonathanDickinson State Park and connect the #LoxahatcheeRiver and #SaintLucie rivers. That would create a preserve for #NativePlants and #wildlife species that would span about 70,000 acres.

"The public owns #Hapatiokee and #PalMar regional parks, but there are thousands of acres of privately owned land in natural conditions that are ripe for development, said Guardians of Martin County Executive Director Greg Braun, whose group is part of the initiative.

" 'If they can connect the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia, we should be able to connect Jonathan Dickinson State Park to Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park,' Braun told TCPalm."

Learn more:
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/indian-river-lagoon/2026/01/02/florida-wildlife-corridor-state-parks-martin-county-jonathan-dickinson-atlantic-ridge-hobe-sound/87397089007/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/nARjr

#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeConservation #Florida #Nature #Wildlife #UrbanSprawl #InvasivePlants #NativeSpecies #ProtectingWildlife

Florida wildlife corridor linking state parks would thwart development

"If they can connect the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia, we should be able to connect" two Florida state parks to stop development.

Treasure Coast
Paris Skyline

For Quatorze Juillet, or the French national holiday known as Bastille Day, I had booked tickets on top of Tour Montparnasse, the ugliest building in Paris. The really nice thing about this skyscraper, though, is that the observation deck on the roof offers a spectacular view over the city. This was at sunset. Little over an hour later, the roughly 30 minute long fireworks and drone show around the Eiffel Tower would start. It was amazing to witness that from this spot.

Soon, a few photography friends and I will be presenting each other our best shots of the past year. And with selecting your best shots, comes the dismissal of the ones you really like, but ultimately don't make the cut. I will be sharing those shots here, in chronological order. This is number 7 of 19.

📷 5D Mark IV · 100-400mm
⚙️ 135mm · f/16 · ISO 800 · 1/8s
📆 2025-07-14 · 21:49

#urban #urbanview #urbansprawl #urbanphotography #city #cityview #vantagepoint #observationdeck #park #tower #skyscraper #cbd #evening #eveningsky #sunset #canon #5dmarkiv #100400mm #france #paris #tourmontparnasse #toureiffel #eiffeltower #ladefense