The centre of Berlin could become almost entirely car-free, if a huge citizen-led campaign is successful. With the joint goals of tackling climate emissions and improving quality of life, support for the Autofrei campaign shows that citizens want climate action now and are ready to take the lead.

Birmingham has announced a plan that seeks to improve its public transport systems and limit the amount of private vehicles in the city centre. The hope is that these moves will reduce carbon emissions and also reinvent the city as a supersized neighbourhood based upon local centres.

Identifiable only by their spotlessness and security staff, it can be difficult to know when you’ve entered one of the growing number of privately owned public spaces across the UK. How do these areas fit into people’s everyday lives? And how might they evolve to become greener and more welcoming?

Britons are having a love affair with plants. From terrariums and cacti to Living Walls and hanging baskets, they want to tap into their affinity with nature. With urbanisation making the natural world more difficult to access, biophilic design is reconnecting people to nature in built environments.