From biodegradable islands to living root bridges, these designs — as researched and highlighted by Julia Watson — can help us build infrastructure that coexists harmoniously with the natural world.

What happens when a city is managed almost completely by private corporations? Visit Gurgaon, India, a boomtown of millions without a citywide system for water, electricity or even public sewers.

Half the vaccines that are manufactured each year don’t make it to their destination, getting lost or damaged along the way between manufacturer and remote health clinics. That means that each year, 1.5 million children in the developing world die needlessly. Neuroscientist and TED Fellow Catharine Young explains a novel approach she thinks can fix the problems.

David Moinina Sengeh argues that the 70% of the sub-Saharan African population who don’t have electricity shouldn’t have to put up with inferior solutions, and explains why he’s bullish about the microgrid.