PASCAL subscribers may be interested in a recent series on 'Overstretched Cities [1]' published by the Guardian newspaper in the UK. The series looks at cities across every continent. One of the blogs includes a short profile on Kigali one of the case study cities within the GCRF Centre for Sustainable Healthy Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods [2] of which I'm Senior Business Manager.
Here is an explanation from the Guardian’s editors about what the series covered:
“What is the Overstretched Cities series?
Overstretched Cities is an in-depth look at how urbanisation has seen cities all over the world mushroom in size, putting new strain on infrastructure and resources – but in some cases offering hope for a more sustainable relationship with the natural world.
Over the course of the week, Guardian Cities correspondents will look beyond the numbers to tell the stories of people affected by the 21st century's population and consumption boom. From sprawling cities in the developed world that are consuming more than their fair share of energy and water, to less wealthy cities unequipped to handle the rapid increase in geographical and population size, we will interrogate this global phenomenon by talking to the people who are trying to mitigate its worst effects – and shine a light on the upside of our population boom by exploring the social and environmental advantages of urban density.”
Gail Wilson