Manhattan rooftops become the city's next power plant
A film from the roofs of midtown, where solar arrays, battery rooms, and building codes are quietly rewriting how the grid gets through August.
Publica — Reporting on the public world
Seoul newsroom films a week inside the algorithm
Five days with the team that decides what a recommendation system is allowed to optimise for, and the editors who audit it afterwards.
Jakarta transit agencies redraw the commuter map
Three operators, one fare, and a timetable rebuilt around the trips people actually make rather than the lines that already exist.
Bangkok summit tests a regional climate fund
Delegates arrived to argue about totals and left arguing about disbursement rules, which is usually the sign that a fund is about to become real.
Copenhagen councils open the budget to a public vote
A small share of capital spending is being handed to residents to allocate, and the arguments about how the ballot is written matter more than the amount.
Rome hoteliers rewrite the arithmetic of a wet season
A longer shoulder season is changing what the city sells, and the smaller operators are the ones with the most to rework.
Zurich analysts rebuild the quarterly scorecard
Sustainability disclosures were bolted onto the quarterly report for a decade. Now they are being folded into the numbers the market actually reads.
Santiago observatories learn to share a crowded sky
Satellite trails are now a routine line in the observing log, and the fix is turning out to be a scheduling agreement rather than a telescope upgrade.
Osaka wards put service robots on the night round
Overnight deliveries inside hospitals and care homes are being automated first, and the rules being written now will outlast the machines.
Vancouver forests become a line in the city budget
Treating the tree canopy as infrastructure rather than amenity changes who maintains it, who funds it, and what happens when it fails.
Mexico City puts a clock on data centre power
New capacity is being approved on the condition that it can be curtailed, turning a permitting fight into a scheduling agreement.
São Paulo negotiators close a trade lane in public
Publishing the draft text mid-negotiation was meant to build confidence. It also changed which concessions were possible.
Berlin debates a digital tax with an analog problem
The proposed levy is meant for platforms, but small publishers want guarantees that local journalism will actually benefit.
The Briefing41
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Technology & Signals11
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Seoul newsroom films a week inside the algorithm
Five days with the team that decides what a recommendation system is allowed to optimise for, and the editors who audit it afterwards.
Santiago observatories learn to share a crowded sky
Satellite trails are now a routine line in the observing log, and the fix is turning out to be a scheduling agreement rather than a telescope upgrade.
Taipei chipmakers become the new diplomatic calendar
Factory tours and supplier meetings are now part of statecraft as governments compete for reliable semiconductor capacity.
Seoul firms test AI assistants with human rules
The newest workplace pilots are less about replacing staff and more about deciding what machines should never decide.
Cities & Infrastructure7
See all →Manhattan rooftops become the city's next power plant
A film from the roofs of midtown, where solar arrays, battery rooms, and building codes are quietly rewriting how the grid gets through August.
Jakarta transit agencies redraw the commuter map
Three operators, one fare, and a timetable rebuilt around the trips people actually make rather than the lines that already exist.
Osaka wards put service robots on the night round
Overnight deliveries inside hospitals and care homes are being automated first, and the rules being written now will outlast the machines.
New York cooperatives revive the middle of the housing market
Resident-led developments are drawing attention as buyers look for stability between private rents and luxury projects.
The World Desk6
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Markets & Business6
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Oslo classrooms test a public data trust
A pilot program gives families more control over learning records while researchers ask whether consent can scale.
New York cooperatives revive the middle of the housing market
Resident-led developments are drawing attention as buyers look for stability between private rents and luxury projects.
Tokyo opens a busway built for the heat
Shade, drainage, and all-day frequency are shaping a transit project designed around the everyday reality of a warmer city.
Amsterdam labs write rules for public robots
Engineers and city lawyers are testing delivery machines with slower speeds, clearer signals, and public appeal channels.
Madrid galleries build a slower fair calendar
Dealers are stretching openings across neighborhoods so collectors, artists, and residents can meet without the crush.
Venice tests a quieter way to price the crowd
New visitor rules are less about one fee than a broader attempt to protect daily life in a city built for walking and water.
London river commute becomes a climate test
New vessels are being measured not only by emissions, but by whether they protect the city's most recognizable daily journey.
Cape Town water planners map the next dry season
Reservoir routes, hillside catchments, and shared storage are changing how the city talks about resilience.