Katharine Gammon
From Germany to New York City, this summer has demonstrated the destructive force of floods. Now, a new study shows that many more people will live in flood-prone areas in the coming decade and reveals the population in areas likely to flood is increasing at a greater rate than other places.
The study, which was published in the journal Nature today, used daily satellite observations of floods during 913 large flood events between 2000 and 2018.

Oxford Street and the West End generally is a huge economic powerhouse in the London and UK economy supporting thousands of businesses and millions of jobs.
Long before the pandemic Oxford Street was suffering from a change in shopping habits due to online activity and the attractiveness of centres such as Westfield.
The issue of traffic in the West End is fundamental to dealing with its future.
For too long we have allowed free access to motor vehicles to rat run through our streets with the resultant heavy pollution and an appalling level of collisions.
PETER HARTLEY
Chair, Westminster Living Streets

Last year’s inaugural ride, organised during the Black Lives Matter protests that swept across the world in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in the US, saw 1,500 ride across London from Walthamstow Central to Brockwell Park in Brixton.
The 24km ride is fronted by black-led cycling groups to help drive change and encourage unity and empowerment among the black community.
Participants set off from Walthamstow at 11am and are expected to reach Shoreditch Park between 3-4pm.
With riders of all backgrounds, ages and abilities welcome, the ride supports underrepresented demographics to increase the diversity of cyclists in the capital. 

The Meatpacking District is set to become one of the most walkable neighborhoods in NYC.
After over a year of Open Streets, the Meatpacking Business Improvement District realized the benefits of closing streets to vehicle traffic and decided to make its Open Streets program a long-term neighborhood feature.
After all, the Open Streets program made it possible for the Meatpacking District’s recent L.E.A.F. Flower Festival and outdoor performance series, The Seven Deadly Sins. 

A new study of 2024 people in the UK from Cyclescheme has found that the permission to get out an cycle for exercise during lockdown was a significant trigger for people who had long said they would like to start cycling.
57% of people surveyed said that they has considered taking up cycling prior to the pandemic and the routine break provided that opportunity. Now that lockdown has eased, 82% of people expressed that they want to keep cycling for exercise, while 73% deem it an exercise form that has a positive mental health effect. Half are to keep cycling as part of a commute and 63% prefer to fit it in as part of seeing friends and family, according to the study.

Cross refencing the notoriously rigours data keeping of inner-city cargo delivery firm PedalMe, the headline data in the report revealed a 1.6 time faster delivery rate over vans, which over a period of 98 days saved an estimated 3,896 Kg of CO2 and over 5.5 kg of NOx entering the atmosphere.

New York City air quality was among the worst in the world as cities across the eastern US were shrouded in smoke from wildfires raging several thousand miles away on the country’s west coast.

Smoke from more than 80 major wildfires burning in the US west has caused hazy skies and plunging air quality in eastern American and Canadian cities including Philadelphia, Washington DC, Pittsburgh and Toronto, as well as New York, causing fiery sunrises and even bathing the moon in an unusual red tinge on Tuesday night.

Extinction Symbol @extinctsymbol 9:30 AM · Jul 31, 2021
(Possibly Spain, but more likely to be Kuwait:
eg. Oct 23, 2020 Huge fire at Kuwait’s tyre site visible from space SE}

New changes to the Highway Code will give pedestrians greater priority over cars at junctions and crossings, the transport secretary has announced.

Under the current code, motorists only have to give way when pedestrians step onto a crossing.
The new code will also ensure cyclists have priority when travelling straight ahead at junctions.
And a “hierarchy of road users” puts more responsibility for road safety on more dangerous modes of transport.
The DfT said the changes, along with a £338 million funding package to boost cycling and walking, will help to sustain the increase in active travel during the pandemic.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said cycling and walking help people keep fit, reduce congestion and help the environment, so he was determined to keep the trend going by making them easier and safer.
The changes to the Highway Code, due to be published in the autumn, will affect England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own version of the code.
The DfT said the code’s new hierarchy of road users would ensure “road users who can do the greatest harm”, such as those in cars, vans and lorries, “have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they may pose to others”.

A congestion charge and other measures to curb carbon emissions in Norwich are to be put to a public consultation.

The Transport for Norwich joint committee discussed the idea as part of a transport strategy for the city.
Other suggestions included workplace parking levies and banning certain vehicles from the city centre.
Lib Dem county councillor Brian Watkin stressed the need for balance between achieving the zero-carbon target and economic growth.
“We’ve got to try to move away from single-car occupancy, particularly at peak hour times,” he said.
“That will involve behavioural change and it will only happen if public transport is good, frequent and reliable.”