2010 has seen content on This Big City exploring the very best ideas from cities all over the world. Here are the ten most-read posts of the year:

1. The Truth About London’s Cycle Superhighways

London’s cycle-obsessed Mayor is on a mission to make the city more bike-friendly, introducing a cycle hire scheme and two ‘cycle superhighways’ in 2010. This article photographically explores one of the two routes, and won a Sustainability Now Social Media award for ‘Best Blog Post’ in December. Thanks for making this the most popular post of the year.

2. Five Sustainable Building Materials That Could Transform Construction

With global populations increasing, the need for accommodation is greater than ever. This article documents five already-available building materials that could be implemented in new developments to improve their environmental sustainability.

3. Could Social Media Revolutionise the Planning System?

Geo-location technology has revolutionised social media, allowing users to interact with the built environment in a digital world. Could the wealth of data being generated online be used to improve the planning system? This article explores that very subject.

4. Five Sustainable Towns the World’s Cities Could Learn From

In a rapidly urbanising world, it is easy to forget about the efforts of towns and villages in becoming more sustainable. In this article, five positive examples are presented, demonstrating simple ways our cities can improve their sustainability credentials.

5. Can Public Art Rebuild Communities?

Faced with an underused rail bridge and a lack of community spirit, one American ‘rustbelt’ town set about using art to restore purpose to their area and unite residents. This video shows their efforts in action.

6. Introvert Urbanism in Bangkok

The social repercussions on Bangkok’s shopping mall culture are explored in this article by Tao Rugkhapan. Whilst these developments have helped the local economy tremendously, they have come at a cost.

7. Two Successful Cycle Hire Schemes (And One Failure)

Whilst Montreal and London’s cycle hire schemes have been huge successes, Melbourne’s equivalent has not. So despite being functionally identical, why did Melbourne Bike Hire receive such a lukewarm reaction? This article presents one possibility.

8. Does Street Art Come From an Affection or Frustration with the Urban Environment?

Considered graffiti by some and art by others, creative expression on the streets of our cities is now the norm. In this article, it is asked whether this is motivated by an appreciation of the urban environment, or a frustration with its flaws.

9. Radically Modernising the Bus Network

Despite some flashier alternatives, the bus remains London’s most used form of transport. However, there is room for improvement, and this article features many suggestions.

10. The Truth About London’s Cycle Superhighways – Part 2

A companion piece to the most popular post of the year, this article follows the same theme. By photographically documenting the infrastructure of London’s second ‘cycle superhighway’ its true functionality is revealed.