More than half the world's population now lives in cities. So how can we make them better? A look at some of the big ideas that came out of the New York Times Energy for Tomorrow conference.

1. Building Sustainable Cities: 6 Big Ideas
New York Times Energy for Tomorrow Conference | April 25, 2013
Conference photos: Piotr Redlinski

2. The New York Times brought together journalists, government
officials and environmental experts for a one-day conference on
sustainability. Panels focused on a central question: How can we
make cities better, healthier, places to live?

3. A look at some of the ideas
that came out of the event:

4. No. 1: Let Cities Take Charge

5. “Stop and think about it: All the progress that is being made in this
country, and really around the world, is not made by the federal
government or by state governments. It has been made by cities,
who are actually leading the ways on climate change.”
Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City

6. No. 2: Focus on Homes

7. “If we could just improve the energy efficiency of our homes by
10%, that's like taking 18 million cars off of our streets and roads.”
Shaun Donovan,
U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

8. No. 3: Cut Down on Waste

9. “If you put a frog in cold water and slowly bring up the
temperature, it will eventually boil to death. This is the problem
with trash. We are slowly boiling to death and not realizing it.”
Jeremy Irons, executive producer of the documentary “Trashed”

10. No. 4: Find New Ways to Support Urban Farms
Photo: littleny / Shutterstock.com

11. “The reason local food tends to be more expensive ... is because
the distribution and infrastructure angle, for which cities could
invest in.”
Dan Barber, chef and co-owner, Blue Hill at Stone Barns

12. No. 5: Stop building in flood plains, and design
cities to be resilient against future storms

13. “Nature is pretty good at protecting itself. If we let the flood plains do
what the flood plains were intended to do, which is to absorb the
excess, we won’t have the kind of inundation (we’re seeing). …
Rather than fight nature, we need to make it our friend.”
Carol Browner, former Obama energy czar

14. No. 6: Give Self-Driving Cars a Chance
Photo: StanfordCIS/Flickr

15. “
“It’s not the technology that’s slowing us down.
Society has to embrace this.”
James Pisz, corporate manager,
North American business strategy, Toyota U.S.A.

16. More Coverage: Energy for Tomorrow
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