For the first time, the World Health Organization has identified air pollution, in its entirety, as a cause of cancer, putting it on par with tobacco smoke, asbestos and arsenic. In 2010, 223,000 people died from lung cancer caused by air pollution.
"The WHO’s key announcement yesterday was that it has included outdoor air pollution [PDF] on its definitive list of the world’s known carcinogens—an addition that, it hopes, will get governments to do something about it," write Ritchie King and Lily Kuo. "Air pollution is the world’s worst environmental carcinogen and more dangerous than second-hand smoke, for instance, the health body said."
The WHO also identified the global cities with the worst outdoor air pollution. Surprisingly, Beijing did not top the list. Though the Chinese capital's noxious air has gotten a good deal of press lately, the city's air quality is only the fifth worst in China and far better than the globe's most hazardous places. Three of the six worst cities are in Iran, with the southwestern city of Ahwaz topping them all. "As the chart above shows, the cities with the worst air are often not big capitals, but provincial places with heavy industry in them or nearby."
FULL STORY: Here are the world’s worst cities for air pollution, and they’re not the ones you’d expect
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Air Pollution Kills 7 Million Annually
In September, 2011 the above title read two million. Figures from both years are based on reports from the World Health Organization, a United Nations agency. Is air quality getting worse, or are more deaths being attributed to air pollution?
Iran's Annual Pollution Peril
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In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living
Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.
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In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.
Off-Peak is the New On-Peak
Public transit systems in major U.S. cities are starting to focus on non-rush hour travelers as pre-pandemic commuting patterns shift and transportation needs change.
Tacoma Coalition Calls for ‘Tenants’ Bill of Rights’
The group wants to put more power in the hands of tenants, but the city has its own, competing proposal for addressing the housing crisis.
New Power Transmission Line Approved in the Southwest
The proposed transmission line will transfer wind-produced power from New Mexico to cities in Arizona and California.
The Limitations of ‘Reconnecting Communities’
The Biden administration has pledged to correct the damage imposed on communities by highways and infrastructure, but many projects are only committing to minor improvements, not transformative changes.
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
