What's one major consequence of a city becoming a booming economic center? Increased traffic that leads to mind-numbing, stop-and-go commutes. IBM surveyed drivers in 20 of the world's metropolises to see which city's drivers experienced most traffic-related woes. Its Commuter Pain Index takes into account factors such as time drivers spent stuck in traffic, high gas prices, stress and anger caused by long commutes, and even instances where the specter of a bumper-to-bumper drive pushes drivers to cancel trips. Check out the results here.

Stay tuned later this week for a GOOD video about innovative solutions to these traffic problems.

SOURCE: IBM 2010 Commuter Pain Index

A collaboration between GOOD and Oliver Munday, in partnership with IBM.

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Businesses and individuals are becoming exponentially more productive and efficient thanks to the innovations that connect them. Between email, Skype, and telecommuting, the landscape of business communication and collaboration is vastly different than it was even a few years ago.

Technology has many benefits, one of which is to make us more efficient workers. And throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, productivity has increased as technology has made it easier for us to work faster and connect with our fellow workers. This is a look at the United States's labor force's productivity—as expressed by a measurement of the output of workers as determined the U.S. government—and the technological advancements that have occurred during its growth.

View the infographic here and keep an eye out tomorrow for a GOOD video accompanying this piece.

SOURCES: Bureau of Labor Statistics; National Academy of Engineering

A collaboration between GOOD and Oliver Munday, in partnership with IBM.

A smart energy grid—which can measure usage and help efficiently manage power grids—could reduce power costs and benefit the environment as well, since a more efficient grid would require less energy from power plants.  To see this in action, look at the findings of a recent Department of Energy study that examined the hypothetical costs and savings of installing all the components of a smart grid in the state of West Virginia starting this year.

A collaboration between GOOD and Oliver Munday.


 

Think of all the electricity that's wasted by city lights that stay on when no one needs them. To solve this problem, one Barcelona neighborhood is using a system of Endesa LED lights, controlled wirelessly, to provide light exactly when, and where, it's needed. It keeps the streets safe while saving the city money.

Taking public transportation is one of the best way to combat congestion in our cities. But to encourage individuals to take mass transit, cities must invest to keep their transportation systems running efficiently and serving citizens' needs. See how the country's largest subway and rapid transit systems stack up in terms of how many riders they serve and how well they serve those riders.

A collaboration between GOOD and Oliver Munday.

America is known for its car culture—but we haven't designed our daily commutes from home to work (and back) to be easy. In fact, they're getting longer. Meanwhile, time spent, fuel wasted, and costs accrued as a result of sitting in traffic are piling up. Here's a look at the traffic in a few major U.S. metropolitan areas, as well as what the municipalities are doing to combat the congestion.

A collaboration between GOOD and Oliver Munday.

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More and more of our shopping is happening online. And in the digital marketplace, shoppers write and read millions of reviews each year, transforming the way we make buying decisions-and how companies make their products. Welcome to the information-saturated world of internet retail.