The City of Sydney has taken a pioneering step toward eliminating fossil fuels from its buildings. The council voted to mandate that all new major buildings must be built all-electric, effectively banning natural gas connections. This major policy shift is critical for accelerating the city’s transition to net-zero emissions. By removing indoor gas pollution, the mandate also creates healthier, safer urban environments for its residents.
Mamdani’s decisive victory, achieved through powerful community organizing, signals an embrace of democratic socialism and progressive ideals in the nation’s largest city and beyond. The result stands as a clear repudiation of President Trump and conservative national narratives, demonstrating that an inclusive, equitable platform can successfully win the highest offices and inspire historic political participation. This triumph sets a powerful precedent for diverse, grassroots, progressive leadership nationwide.
The Chicago River, once devastated by pollution, has seen a remarkable turnaround, with cleaner water, expanding wildlife, and renewed public confidence. Conservation groups now report diverse fish species, turtles, and birds thriving along the river, while the city prepares for its first open-water swim in nearly a century. Years of effort—ranging from sewage treatment upgrades to floating wetlands and volunteer cleanups—have driven the transformation. Challenges like stormwater overflows remain, but the river’s revival demonstrates what persistent investment, advocacy, and collaboration can achieve.
On July 1, 2025, Lagos introduced a ban on single-use plastics like Styrofoam plates, straws, and cutlery. The city—home to 20 million people—has long battled severe plastic pollution, with clogged waterways worsening floods and harming health. The ban is already driving grassroots recycling, sparking innovation in sustainable packaging, and raising public awareness about waste reduction. If supported by stronger enforcement, better waste systems, and affordable alternatives, this move could slash hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic waste annually—positioning Lagos as a model for African cities aiming to protect their environment and build a cleaner, more resilient future.
Helsinki, Finland, has celebrated a full year without a single traffic-related fatality. This milestone reflects the cumulative impact of decades of data-driven, human-centered city planning and aligns with broader objectives
Flint’s lead crisis began in 2014, when the city began drawing water sourced from the Flint River instead of from Lake Huron. The river water was more corrosive than the lake water, and the city failed to take the additional steps needed to prevent lead from leaching into drinking water. In 2017, a federal court ordered the city to replace all lead pipes within three years. Eight years later is the project finally complete. State officials told a federal court this week that the city has excavated more than 28,000 properties in search of lead water lines and replaced nearly 11,000 pipes.
Thousands of Arizonans now have a financial burden lifted off their shoulders, Gov. Katie Hobbs has announced. According to the Democratic governor, $429 million in medical debt has been erased for more than 352,000 Arizonans as part of a partnership between her administration and national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt. In 2024, Hobbs announced an initiative to erase $2 billion in medical debt for up to one million Arizonans.
Council members voted 5-2 to implement the ordinance, which updates the Washington State city’s human rights code to define gender-affirming care and ensure equal protections for LGBTQ+ people. The policy “prohibits the city from collecting or disseminating information about anyone’s sex assigned at birth, unless it’s related to a criminal investigation.” The ordinance also requires city-provided healthcare to cover gender-affirming care. Council members celebrated the city living up to its motto: “In Spokane, we all belong.”
Parisians voted to pedestrianize a further 500 of the city’s streets, giving fresh momentum to efforts by the French capital’s left-leaning town hall to curb car usage and improve air quality. The referendum will eliminate 10,000 more parking spots in Paris, adding to the 10,000 removed since 2020. The 500 additional streets to be pedestrianized will bring the total number of these so-called “green lungs” to nearly 700, just over one-tenth of the capital’s streets.
New Delhi, India’s capital city, struggles with numerous environmental challenges, including extremely poor air quality and heat waves. In response, since 2004, the city has created seven large “biodiversity parks” on previously degraded land. The Aravalli Biodiversity Park, a 692-acre park located near an upscale neighborhood, is now a thriving forest of native plants. The Neela Hauz Biodiversity Park is home to a lake that was once a dumping ground for untreated sewage. All seven parks were restored by the Delhi Development Authority and the University of Delhi and together span 2,026 acres.
