Today, the worlds population is growing and urbanizing. Almost 70% of people worldwide will live in cities by 2050, which lies at the heart of our transition to a sustainable, circular, and resilient future. We need to ensure that we design and build cities in a regenerative way for those who live in them.This demands a revolution, with spaces designed to improve living standards, make cities more resilient, and serve society. Taking this approach is about making buildings low-carbon, circular, resilient, and energy-efficient, while bringing nature into cities, and putting people at the core of the built environment.Holcim recently co-presented a report with Systemiq, a systems change company, to explore how we can unleash this revolution. Together, we set out the case for change, and how we can work together across the construction sector to make this the new normal.What is a regenerative city?The built environmenthuman-made space where people live, work, and playis massive and growing fast. It accounts for $10.8 trillion (12% of global GDP) and employs 240 million people all over the world.We will invest trillions more into the built environment over the next 10-15 years. This is an unparalleled opportunity for the construction sector, but it carries with it a responsibility to take a regenerative approach and make the most of this urbanization boom by investing in projects that use this model purposefully.Designing regenerative cities means looking at how we can reduce their CO2 footprint at the design phase, as well as how we can factor in ways to create more value for society.Gradually, an increasing number of designers, architects, governments, and changemakers are switching gears to take this approach, to create value for all stakeholders. Beyond minimizing environmental impact and reaching net zero, its about having a net-positive outcome for both people and the planet.4 key characteristicsWhile researching this report, Systemiq found that truly regenerative designs have four key characteristics.They evolve over TIME. Regenerative spaces are designed to be resilient and adapt to changing economic, social and environmental conditions.Crucially, they center on the PEOPLE who will use them from the earliest planning stages. They prioritize local populations and promote their well-being.They are also integrated with NATURE. Designed as living systems, they restore the connections between people and their surrounding natural environment.Finally, regenerative spaces are deeply rooted in PLACE. At every level, they are informed by the history, ecology, and culture around them.Systemiqs report proposes steps we can take together to fuel this revolution. First, we can form a coalition of innovators who will collaborate to drive us forward. Second, leveraging new technologies, we can create open-source planning resources to pool insights from projects all over the globe. Third, we can attract investors by designating projects as a target asset class. The key to all of this lies in collaborationtogether we can scale up the regenerative revolution!New Yorks Big UThis approach is already taking shape in cities worldwide. One example is New York, where the Big U project is setting the standard for regenerative building. This is just one of many such projects globally using Holcims sustainable building solutions.Coastal cities bear the brunt of our rapidly changing climate, with challenges like flooding expected to worsen in the years to come. Urban spaces must therefore be resilient, capable of absorbing shocks, and continuing to function and generate value.In 2012, Lower Manhattan was hit by Hurricane Sandy, which damaged offices, infrastructure, and housing for vulnerable residents, also eroding coastlines. Preparing New York for another event like Sandy became a pressing need.In response, a group of architects, environmental groups, and policy experts created the Big U. The 10-mile protective ribbon encircles Manhattans southern tip. Holcims coastal protection materials enabled high outer structural strength from the surrounding Hudson and East River.The innovative project is nature-based. Listening to the needs of the local community, it incorporates outdoor spaces such as parks and basketball courts. It reconnects residents in three neighborhoods with the natural ecosystem around them.The Big U is a perfect illustration of a regenerative built environment. It is people-centric, rooted in place, and integrated with nature. It also changes with time, as it was designed to withstand rising water levels until 2100. The project has improved the health and well-being of those living in Lower Manhattan and increased the entire citys resilience. It improves access to housing, jobs, and education, and boosts New Yorks economic growth potential.Transforming the built environment togetherThe Big U is just one example found in Systemiqs report. Local and national governments have begun supporting regenerative projects that directly fulfil their citizens needs. We also see innovation taking place along the construction value chain, as experts put their heads together to promote circularity. Furthermore, emerging financial models increasingly promote and sustain regenerative workflows.This is such an exciting time for the building industry. Our future lies in projects that have positive outcomes for communities and nature like the Big U, which are tailored to the needs of their cities and environments.Regenerative systems by design create prosperity, but they do so in a way thats also good for nature and good for people. Not just some people, but all people.At Holcim, we are leading this shift in construction. Everything we build, we build for people. We urge owners and developers, designers, contractors, and operators in cities all over the world to explore solutions that will make their projects future-proof and positive for people and the planet.Join us as we unleash the regenerative revolution!Nollaig Forrest is chief sustainability officer at Holcim.

The UK has revealed its mascot for the Expo 2025 Osaka, which is named PIX and can be transformed into various shapes.Named PIX, in reference to pixels, the mascot was presented in different shapes including a aeroplane, film camera, sheep, submarine and even the Loch Ness monster.PIX will be the mascot for the UK at Expo 2025 OsakaDescribed by the UK team as "dynamic, fun and knowledgeable", the mascot is made from red, blue and white building blocks.It was designed to evoke both ideas of childhood imagination, building blocks and innovation.The mascot will take various forms"Born from a child's imagination and their toy building blocks, PIX symbolises the building blocks of innovation," said UK commissioner general for Expo 2025 Carolyn Davidson."Our dynamic, fun and knowledgeable mascot takes shape in endless combinations...from teapots to rockets...representing how ideas come together to build something great.""PIX encourages us all to see the potential of our own ideas, no matter how small, to transform the world when we come together to build the future."It was made from coloured building blocksSet to take place in Yumeshima Island, Osaka, from 13 April to 13 October 2025, the UK will be represented at the World Expo with a pavilion designed by Woo Architects."PIX is set to feature throughout the UK Pavilion experience, charming visitors with a treasure trove of fun facts about the UK and Japan, and channeling the spirit of exploration, humour and innovation the UK is famous for," said the UK pavilion team.Read: Woo Architects updates design for UK Pavilion at Osaka Expo 2025Along with the mascot, the UK Government unveiled an updated design for the pavilion today.The updated pavilion will be covered by perforated aluminium panels as a homage tothe innovations of English mathematician Ada Lovelace.The mascot will be used in the UK pavilionThe Expo has beenmasterplanned bySou Fujimoto Architects, which is creating a vast wooden ring that encircles the national pavilions.Other national pavilions revealed so far includea cluster of angular volumes for Saudi Arabia that Foster and Partners is modelling on the kingdom's traditional villagesanda "canyon" designed by Trahan Architects for the USA.The post UK unveils "shape-shifting" mascot for Osaka Expo 2025 appeared first on Dezeen.

Foster + Partners recently designed a pair of attractive and eye-catching towers connected by an exclusive penthouse swimming pool at the top. This makes these towers truly exceptional and one-of-a-kind. Called Regent Residences Dubai, Sankari Place, the two skyscrapers will be built in Business Bay, near the upcoming Bugatti Residences. They will feature an equal height of 590 feet.The towers design is animated by the addition of protruding balconies and pools, which Foster + Partners envisions as creating a visual effect reminiscent of cascading water. The orientation of the buildings is strategically planned to offer optimal views of the Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building in the world. However, the Burj Khalifa may soon lose its title, as the even taller JEC Tower is currently under construction in Saudi Arabia.Designer: Foster + PartnersThe skyscrapers will accommodate one large and spacious residence on each floor. The uppermost level will include an ultra penthouse suite that will generously spread over the two towers. This suite will be linked by the impressive sky pool. The pool will not be exposed to the elements, it will be protected by a bridge-like structure. Since Dubai has a pretty harsh climate, this enclosed plan is for the best. The unique pool is the star element of the project, showcasing something that we dont typically see. Dubai is known for its majestic skyscrapers and towers, but the addition of this sky swimming pool truly allows this project to stand apart from the crowd.The lower floors of the development will be a hub of luxury and leisure, featuring lush greenery and tranquil water features that create an inviting atmosphere. Residents and guests will have access to private dining spaces, offering exclusive culinary experiences, as well as a state-of-the-art gym for fitness enthusiasts. Multiple swimming pools will provide ample opportunities for relaxation and recreation. Retail units will be integrated into this section, creating a vibrant shopping experience.The Regent Residences Dubai, Sankari Place, is a prestigious and luxurious project being developed by Sankari Properties in collaboration with IHG Hotels & Resorts. Specific details regarding the completion date and pricing of the residences have yet to be announced, but it is quite evident that the homes are targetted towards the high-end market. They arent designed to be budget-friendly starter homes, but are premium and sophisticated living spaces for buyers seeking elegance and exclusivity.The post An Impressive Sky Pool Links Two Dubai Towers, Creating A Distinctive Project In The Skyscraper City first appeared on Yanko Design.

The same lawyers handling a lawsuit over the infamous Hawk Tuah crypto coin are bringing a new class action against memecoin platform Pump.Fun for allegedly putting investors in high financial risk.

An investigation by the Federal Trade Commission determined that consumers had not been aware that the automaker was providing their driving information to data brokers.

MacworldProminent phone leaker Sonny Dickson posted to X a pair of images that he says are the first look at the iPhone SE 4 dummy. While we dont get a clear look at the front to know just how big the notch is, the two images reveal some key features of the next budget phone. The iPhone SE 4 dummy looks to be exactly what we expected: essentially an iPhone 14 with a single rear camera. In keeping with rumors, it shows flat edges, a mute switch, and no Touch ID button but rather a full edge-to-edge display, likely with larger bezels than the current iPhones. However, we dont get a good enough look at the top of the front of the dummy to see what kind of cutout Apple will use for the camera. We expect an iPhone 14-era TrueDepth module for Face ID, with a relatively large notch rather than a Dynamic Island.Even with just one lens, the camera on the iPhone SE 4 is expected to be a huge upgrade over the current 12MP wide-angle one. Rumors say it will get a boost to 48MP with night mode.Dummy models, as they are called, are finished but non-functioning phones used for things like testing cases and such. They often feature accurate designs and even materials, but they dont have working parts inside. Dickson has a strong history of accurate leaks involving iPhone and iPad dummy units. Apple is expected to launch the new iPhone SE at a spring event in March or April, and it will be a big update over the existing model. A key feature will be the upgrade to the A18 processor and 8GB of RAM, which will allow it to support Apple Intelligence. Some rumors have suggested Apple will even change the name, calling it the iPhone 16E. You can stay up to date with all of the latest rumors in our iPhone SE 4 guide.

Sonnet has a new Thunderbolt 5 dock with four TB5 ports and an internal PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD slot that'll work with your existing M-series Macs and ensure future compatibility with higher speeds.New Sonnet Echo 13 SSD Dock. Image source: SonnetThunderbolt 5 is fresh to the market, and Sonnet didn't waste any time getting the Echo 13 SSD Dock to the market. It adds plenty of ports and SSD storage up to 4TB to your Mac.Since the Echo 13 SSD Dock is Thunderbolt 5 and is equipped with four Thunderbolt 5 ports, it is future-proofed for when companies like Apple embrace the spec. The ultra-fast spec allows bi-directional data bandwidth of 80Gbps, so support for two 8K displays is enabled on products that allow it. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

PlayStation is kicking the year off on the backfoot, with SIE Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games respective live service titles having been cancelled. But while several similar past cancellations by the company have been tied to those games developers closing their doors, Sony says that wont be the case with these two in particular.Reported by Bloomberg, a Sony spokesperson has stated that closures arent on the docket for Bend and Bluepoint, and that PlayStation is currently working with both studios to figure out whats next with them.Bend and Bluepoint are highly accomplished teams who are valued members of the PlayStation Studios family, and we are working closely with each studio to determine what are the next projects, Sony said.That said, whether or not the project cancellations will bring layoffs remains to be seen. Generally, that does tend to be the case, but all Sony has said in an internal memo is that it is working closely with Bend and Bluepoint to determine what are the next projects and plan to do everything we can to ensure there is minimal business impact.Of course, theres no guarantees that Sony sticks to its current plans (companies dont always do that after major failures), but one would hope that it does, at least. Of course, with both studios now gearing up to start entirely new projects from scratch, it doesnt look like were going to see anything from either of them for several years at least.

Hi to all and happy new year !! Some fun using megascans assets dark ruins for practicing lighting, cinematic and fx. Real time 4k.

A baby rusty-spotted cat, born at a French zoo in 2010. The newly discovered fossil is thought to belong to the same genus as modern rusty-spotted cats, which are among the smallest felines in the world. Catherine Gugelmann / AFP via Getty ImagesScientists in China have uncovered a fossilized jaw fragment of a newly identified, extinct cat species that was so small it would have fit in the palm of your hand. The discovery was detailed in the journal Annales Zoologici Fennici in November and could represent the tiniest cat ever found.This cat is clearly smaller than a domestic cat, lead author Qigao Jiangzuo, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, tells Live Sciences Emma Bryce. It is comparable to the smallest living cat, [at around] 1 kilogram [2.2 pounds].The researchers identified the new species as a member of the genus Prionailurusin other words, it was an ancient leopard cat, a type of small wild cat thats still native to parts of Asia. Leopard cats include four or five living species, per the study, and the littlest among them is the rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) in South Asia. Along with the tiny-but-deadly black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) in Africa, these are the smallest cats that exist anywhere on Earth today. But the prehistoric felines size would have been akin toor even smaller thanthese modern miniatures.From the jaw fragment, which includes two surviving teeth, Jiangzuo and his colleagues inferred the extinct creatureto be between 13.7 and 19.7 inches long. They named the speciesPrionailurus kurteni.Because early leopard cats had small, fragile bones and mostly lived in habitats that were conducive to rapid bone degradation, their remains are rarely uncovered, according to the study. But the researchers discovered this specimen in the Hualongdong Cave of eastern China, which is known for its paleontological finds. There, archaeologists have previously revealed the remains of humans dating back hundreds of thousands of years. The cat fossil was found in a geologic layer dated to between 275,000 and 331,000 years ago, suggesting Prionailurus kurteni prowled the Earth alongside early humans.The food scraps these archaic humans left at the Hualongdong site might have attracted rats and small leopard cats as well, Jiangzuo tells the Chinese news agency Xinhua. Its unclear whether these cats constituted part of the cave dwellers diet, due to the absence of butchery marks on the fossils.The angle of one of the teeth on the jaw fragment is the first fossil evidence to link leopard cats to a common ancestor of both domestic cats and the grumpy-looking Pallas cat, reports Live Science.Overall, the fossil also provides insight into the diversity of prehistoric leopard cats. According to the paper, many small cat fossils had historically been assigned to the genus Felis, which includes modern domestic cats, without careful study. But this finding paves the way for researchers to get more detail about the cats of the late Middle Pleistocene.Moving forward, we plan to systematically survey the fossil cats in China and around the world, which were not well studied in the past, Jiangzuo tells Live Science. We hope to trace the origins and past diversity of the cat family.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Bones, Cats, China, Cool Finds, Fossils, New Research, Paleontology, Teeth