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'Clock Is Ticking' on Plan for Controversial New Eco-City

California Forever scrambles for signatures to get billionaire Sramek's initiative on November ballot

(Newser) - After two false starts, the billionaires behind a plan to build an eco-friendly city from scratch are behind schedule to put their proposal before California voters this November. Former Goldman Sachs trader Jan Sramek unveiled his closely guarded ballot initiative for the proposed community between San Francisco and Sacramento in...

For Years, He Secretly Bought Land. Now, His Plans Emerge

Jan Sramek's billionaire-backed 'California Forever' firm wants to build a city in Solano County

(Newser) - After years of secretly snapping up farmland for a new city northeast of San Francisco, the CEO of a company backed by Silicon Valley billionaires pitched voters Wednesday on his vision for a walkable, affordable community that would appeal to their California pride. Jan Sramek, a former Goldman Sachs trader...

'Anxiety' Stirs 2 Women to Take a Very Bold Step

Ashley Scott and Renee Walters are creating the Freedom Georgia Initiative

(Newser) - Welcome to the Freedom Georgia Initiative. So far it's just 96 acres of dirt roads and trees, but two pioneering women foresee much more: a safe space for Blacks in trying times, CNN reports. "I'm hoping that it will be a thriving safe haven for people of...

Thousands See 'Floating City' Caught on Video: Report

Meteorologists, conspiracy theorists see it differently

(Newser) - Too much carbon pollution? Check . Lots of billionaires? Check . A giant city floating in the sky? Well, according to Chinese TV news channels, China recently had a massive metropolis hovering over the clouds that was spotted by thousands of people, the Daily Express reports. In fact, a similar floating city...

City vs. Country: Guess Which Is Safer?

If you said country, we have bad news for you

(Newser) - Contrary to what Law & Order has taught you, when it comes to safety you're better off in the city than the country. Time flags a new study out today that compares large US cities to rural areas, and finds that the risk of injury death (this includes everything...

'Lost City' Uncovered in Cambodia

Laser sensors map out Mahendraparvata

(Newser) - Deep in the Cambodian jungle, Australian archaeologists have made a major discovery: a 1,200-year-old lost city, NPR reports. They made their find using laser sensors known as Lidar, which outlined the city, called Mahendraparvata. "With this instrument—bang—all of a sudden we saw an immediate picture of...

Dull, Scotland, Pairs Up With Boring, Oregon

World's least-interesting towns seek transatlantic partnership

(Newser) - Here's some news that's less than exciting: The Scottish village of Dull is hoping to join forces with Boring, Oregon, in large part because it will result in amusing signage. It all started when a Scottish cyclist rode through Boring while on vacation; she mentioned her idea to...

Foursquare Names World's Rudest Cities

Or at least those whose users swear a lot

(Newser) - Foursquare has been crunching numbers in its database and come up with the 20 rudest cities in the world, the Huffington Post reports. Or more precisely, the cities whose check-in tips contain the most curse words. The honor for English-speaking countries goes to Manchester, England.

Raleigh Tops in Quality of Life
 Raleigh Tops 
 in Quality of Life 
survey says
May 24, 2010 4:15 PM CDT

Raleigh Tops in Quality of Life

(Newser) - Raleigh, NC, is the American city with the highest quality of life, according to a new survey by Portfolio magazine . With its low unemployment rate, quality housing stock, and rapid pace of growth, Raleigh beat out the other 66 largest metro areas in a comparison of 20 statistical measures of...

10 Best Cities to Get a Job
 10 Best Cities to Get a Job 
Dec 30, 2009 11:44 AM CST

10 Best Cities to Get a Job

DC tops search engine's list

(Newser) - Washington, DC is the easiest city in the country to land a job, says job-search site Juju.com, which ranked cities by comparing the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ figures on unemployed workers to the number of job postings on Juju itself. The site finds 1.87 “unemployed individuals per...

Backyard Chickens Ruffle Neighbors' Feathers

Low-cost organic egg dispenser, or messy nuisance?

(Newser) - Backyard chickens have polarized the city council of Salem, Ore., as residents argue over whether to legalize keeping the birds in home coops, the Wall Street Journal reports. It’s one of several such disputes around the US, with some extolling the virtues of a source of free eggs and...

Spooky Universal Pattern Captivates Math Experts

Academics ponder similarities between cities and organisms

(Newser) - A fascinating mathematical similarity between infrastructure requirements of cities and the nutritional needs of different-sized animals has energized a field of study that is enthralling academics. Researchers have discovered that any measure of a city's infrastructure—from number of gas stations to miles of roadway—grows only in proportion to...

Architects Plan Brave New Paris
 Architects Plan Brave New Paris 
Mar 13, 2009 7:30 AM CDT

Architects Plan Brave New Paris

Sarkozy proposes futuristic sustainable city

(Newser) - Paris may be getting a facelift, the Telegraph reports. Nicolas Sarkozy invited 10 leading architects to cook up Grand Paris 2030, giving them "the absolute freedom to dream." Sarkozy aims to open up the city to its suburbs, shorten intra-city commutes, and create vast green spaces. The architects...

China to Lop Off Tall Buildings in Hangzhou

Hangzhou aims to become World Heritage site

(Newser) - Hoping to turn the city into a World Heritage site, China is lopping top floors off tall buildings in Hangzhou, the BBC reports. Two hotels, a TV tower, and other buildings will get the shrinking treatment in a $5.8 million effort; the city’s government has said that all...

Research Paves Way for Better Wi-Fi in Autos

Researchers find a way to stabilize mobile internet access

(Newser) - Researchers at Microsoft and two US universities have designed a system to give drivers better Wi-Fi connections, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. The technology, presented last week in Seattle, allows a moving computer to hook into one Wi-Fi station as an "anchor" while using other stations as support. Researchers say...

DC the Most 'Walkable' City
DC the Most 'Walkable' City
Dec 5, 2007 6:35 PM CST

DC the Most 'Walkable' City

Brookings Institution puts capital first, then Boston and San Francisco

(Newser) - Which city gives those who prefer to travel by foot the most opportunities in terms of work and play? The Brookings Institution crunched some numbers to come up with the nation's most "walkable" cities. DC leads the way. Here's the top 10:
  1. Washington, DC
  2. Boston
  3. San Francisco
  4. Denver
  5. Portland
...

16 Stories