The Land of Milk, Honey—and High Rise Backyards?
by Diana Saverin: For thousands of years, Eretz Yisrael, “The land of Israel,” was a purely religious concept, its borders outlined in the Book of Numbers. Since the transformation of the land from a spiritual abstraction into the modern state of Israel, its growing population and economy have placed enormous stress on the nation’s natural...
Jakarta’s ‘Riverbank People’
by Catherine Osborn: The first four times they were evicted from their homes in North Jakarta, the members of the Kebon Bayem community resettled after just a few weeks. The fifth time, the city police brought guns. They had visited in the morning with a 24-hour eviction notice, and around 10 p.m. more troops arrived....
Revolutionizing Cairo
by Nicolas Kemper: Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Tahrir square, hurling stones and braving tear gas, as they called for the end of the 30 year reign of President Hosni Mubarak. Cairo was in revolt. And as the residents of the city that defines Egypt’s national identity shed the shackles of authoritarianism, they...
Russia’s Venture Capital Adventure
by Cathy Huang: At this year’s World Economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, participating heads of state collectively winced as two powerful men from opposite halves of the world shared an awkward moment. Michael S. Dell, the iconic CEO of the computer company that bears his name, and Vladimir Putin, Russia’s current prime minister, were contributing...
Creating Cycling Cultures
by Sanjena Sathian: It is snowing mercilessly in Copenhagen. The skies have opened over Amsterdam and endless rain falls on the city. But despite the weather, the streets of both cities are inevitably filled with bicyclists, suit-clad or sporting jeans, toting children or even Christmas trees. These are the ultimate havens of cycling in Europe...
Living on Water
by Luke Hawbaker: Most homeowners living near water dread the prospect of flooding. If the rain pours and water levels rise, they are forced to steel themselves against inevitable damage or even evacuate. But some residents living on the Meuse river in the Netherlands have little to worry about. Their houses float. In 1993 and...
Recent Comments