How frog and Statens vegvesen saved millions with improved roadworks

Proud of the impactful work our frog team in Norway is delivering in close collaboration with Statens vegvesen (Norwegian Public Roads Administration). Together, we are redesigning tools and workflows to minimize disruption from road repairs driving tangible societal outcomes! 🐸🦺👏 Here’s what we achieved: ▪︎ 34 extra days of open road ▪︎ NOK 4.5M in initial societal savings ▪︎ Progress with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The full story can be found here: http://fro.gd/4o2eG04 #makeyourmark #societalimpact

How do you save millions in societal costs? frog and Statens vegvesen - Norwegian Public Roads Administration developed an improved operating model to find out.     Road repairs are necessary but challenging, often complicating vital journeys for our communities. Recognizing the need to minimize disruption, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen) tasked frog with developing the tools and mindset that could help the workforce keep the roads open for longer.     Here’s what we achieved:     ▪︎ 34 extra days of open road  ▪︎ NOK 4.5M in initial societal savings  ▪︎ Progress with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)    Read the full client story today ➞ http://fro.gd/4o2eG04     #MakeYourMark #SDG #SustainableRoadworks #CivilEngineering #EmployeeExperience Gagandeep Gadri Noemie Lauer Priscilla Li Thierry Kok 葉俊廷 Justin L. Deng Zhi Tan JoAnne S. Jerrica Ang Nikki Jacobs Wong Eng Geng Clarissa Edeline Yu Ethan Low Ryan Mok Loh Jia Xin 罗佳欣 Nada Khan Suratee 🏆 Kenny Leow Sharon Choong Jeremy N.

Read how the Automobil-Club Verkehr invested in their new space to minimize environmental impact and create community for employees in this Steelcase case study. https://bit.ly/3Ir4Ndi

URB, inc. Insights | Regarding the Value and Vitality of Chicago’s South Side Communities. Chicagoland Industrial Retention Network: Revitalizing Manufacturing. Rebuilding Communities Both Manufacturing Renaissance and its initiative, the Chicagoland Industrial Retention Network (CIRN), focus their efforts on marginalized communities on Chicago’s South and West Sides. They aim to counteract decades of industrial decline by revitalizing the manufacturing sector and building community wealth in these areas. How they help the value and vitality of South Side communities: Youth training programs. Preventing plant closures. Promoting diverse ownership. Empowering community-based organizations. Advocating for systemic change. The Chicagoland Industrial Retention Network approach is not just about manufacturing—it’s about creating community wealth, preserving local businesses, and providing job opportunities that build a stronger, more equitable future for South Side neighborhoods. Read more https://lnkd.in/g9TxaNbd

🌊 Building a Swimmable Austin: Reflections from the Swimmable Cities Next Wave Roundtable 🌊 In my personal capacity, I recently convened a small but mighty group of Austinites to imagine what it would take to make Austin a Swimmable City—starting with Lady Bird Lake. Our discussion brought together expertise from environmental engineering, urban design, community engagement, and climate finance to explore both the challenges and opportunities of restoring safe, equitable access to our urban waterways. We acknowledged the complex realities—bacterial contamination, toxic algae, and infrastructure constraints—but also surfaced pathways forward: targeted monitoring, pilot swim sites, creative public education, and stronger partnerships across public, private, and civic sectors. The global Swimmable Cities initiative, now representing 153 signatories across 83 cities and 30 countries, reminds us that we’re not alone in this work. Austin has a chance to join this movement—one that centers the right to swim and the health of our shared waters as essential to urban resilience. Grateful to co-learn with Sharlene Leurig, Ben Hodges, and Jessica S., and to all who continue to champion a vision of a city where clean, living water connects us. Get involved: Join our Community of Practice - Connect with international expertise, as we learn and share with municipalities around the world: hello@swimmablecities.org, and/or message me to be included in future local conversations.

𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 2025–2035 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 We’re pleased to share that Hampshire County Council has adopted the refreshed Countryside Access Plan (CAP), setting out a strategic and forward-looking vision for public rights of way and countryside access across Hampshire. The plan focuses on accessibility, connectivity, climate resilience, nature, and partnership working. The plan introduces four new focus areas: • 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 – Integrating countryside access into development and infrastructure planning. • 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 & 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 – Promoting the benefits of nature for physical and mental health. • 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐥𝐥 – Tackling barriers to ensure inclusive access for everyone. • 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 & 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 – Responding to environmental challenges and supporting nature recovery. Delivery will be supported through: • 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 • 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 • 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 This plan represents a significant step forward in recognising the value of Hampshire’s countryside for health, biodiversity, community, and the rural economy—while ensuring future resilience and inclusivity. 📖 You can read the full Countryside Access Plan here: https://lnkd.in/efVyt_fr 📑 Or take a look at the summary version here: https://lnkd.in/eKSrJFh7

Mobility hubs hold the key to sustainable urban development 🔑🌱 Creating these hubs provides opportunities for vibrant, future-proof neighborhoods. Smart clustering of mobility creates space for greenery, climate adaptation, recreational areas, and more. In this way, a single intervention in the mobility domain can create significant added value for other crucial space requirements. But exactly how big is this potential impact? How can we realize it through a sustainable and feasible funding strategy? Using a new, step-by-step hub methodology, PosadMaxwan, Rebel and the Gemeente Rotterdam demonstrate the potential of mobility hubs with data. This approach provides new starting points for funding and governance, taking hub thinking to a new level by transforming stalled business cases into an integrated perspective with a concrete framework for action. Curious about our methodology? Read the white paper below (currently only available in Dutch) or download it here! 👉 https://lnkd.in/eK6ftyKW Want to know more? Contact Gintarė Norkūnaitė (PosadMaxwan), Robert Boshouwers (Rebel), Amber Luesink (Rebel), or Jan Robbert Albrechts (Municipality of Rotterdam).

In cities across Germany, architects are reimagining how to provide sustainable housing for the homeless. Their solution — compact, eco-friendly micro-homes constructed from repurposed shipping containers — combines modern design with environmental responsibility. Each unit is equipped with solar panels for power, micro-gardens for food and greenery, and insulation for all seasons. The homes are mobile, affordable, and easy to assemble, allowing communities to address housing crises quickly while reducing construction waste. This initiative reflects a growing belief that environmental innovation and social welfare can go hand in hand — a model of dignity, sustainability, and hope.

📍 Next up in our city spotlight: Bamberg, GreenDEMO Fellow City Stadt Bamberg is taking part in GreenDEMO to strengthen its sustainability agenda by making the green transition more democratic and participatory. The city is exploring how existing projects and frameworks can be further developed with insights from peer learning across Europe. At the same time, Bamberg is asking: 💬 How can city budgets become more transparent and inclusive? 💬 What is needed to better connect financial choices with sustainability goals? 💬 How can citizens play a stronger role in deciding how resources are used? Through GreenDEMO, Bamberg hopes to test new ways of linking finance, democracy, and climate action while learning from the experiences of other cities. Explore our website: https://greendemo.eu/ #GreenDEMO #SustainableCities #UrbanInnovation #CitizenEngagement #DemocraticInnovation #GreenBudgeting

In cities we move between buildings, screens, and traffic with little space left for trees, soil, or sunlight. And that has a negative impact on our health. Research shows that access to green space lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 43%, obesity by 40%, cardiovascular disease by 37%. Greenery also cools overheated cities, cleans polluted air, reduces stress, and improves sleep. These benefits don’t require untouched wilderness. A tree-lined street, a community garden, or a patch of wild grass all act as preventive care. They help protect bodies and minds in urban environments. Green space in a city is as vital as roads, schools, or hospitals. As cities expand, investing in urban greenery helps to protect public health, strengthen climate resilience, and rebuild our relationship with the living world. Cities rarely quantify what green space prevents: hospital admissions avoided, energy not consumed, infrastructure damage reduced. These savings are real and measurable. When nature is integrated into urban accounting, it no longer sits in the category of “amenity.” It becomes visible as core infrastructure and carries the same weight as power lines, water systems, or public transport in determining how a city functions over time. Full article available on our website: https://lnkd.in/edZdx9uE