Asia-Pacific

An agreement between 21 nations has banned the highly destructive commercial fishing practice known as bottom trawling in the South Pacific seas, which accounts for more than one-quarter of the world's oceans.

The Malaysian government is hoping its new mega-plans for an expansive 21st Century economic hub will bring more action to the country, where other big projects have not lived up to their economic potential.

This report looks at the new Tokyo Midtown mega-development, which the author suggests will become the new standard for mixed use.

Spurning options that lead to urban sprawl, academics and politicians in New Zealand are urging the government to address the shortages and to make so-called "social housing" more palatable.

A journalist says Burma's new secret capital city uses urban planning as insurance against regime change.

A real estate company in Chongqing city, China, turns the home of a man who refuses to move into an island. [Includes a stunning photo.]

Spurred by extraordinary economic and urban growth, Ho Chi Minh City is experiencing a building boom. But preservationists are worried about the danger to the city's priceless colonial era heritage.

The Asian Development Bank has partnered with the Singapore government on a new educational initiative to help improve conditions for poorer residents of the region's cities.

Researcher say air pollution from Asia is changing Pacific weather patterns and ending up over West Coast cities.

Shanghai's market may have tanked, but its planners see an upside in Miami Beach. So do Mumbai's.

With South Korea's historic apprehension towards China, efforts at resurrecting or creating new Chinatowns in Incheon and other cities have been so far been lacking one key ingredient -- Chinese residents.

Neglect, poor planning, and flawed city management are being blamed for the recent flooding in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta that has caused hundreds of thousands to evacuate.

Indonesia's private airplanes and trains are not subject to stringent regulation officials say. As a result, the government compromises safety.

While they flourish in Asia, huge shopping malls are losing their popularity in the U.S. to big box retailers. One way developers are reacting is by recreating the formerly all-commercial shopping experience to include a mix of uses.

Given a history of environment problems, some wonder if the 2008 Olympics in Beijing will showcase the world's worst pollution as well as world-class athletes? A marathon runner dies as the City's pollution index hits 149 (100 is unhealthy).

The restored Cheonggyecheon river, which once was reduced to a sewer capped by a six-lane highway, now serves as a focal point for urban recreation in the South Korean capital.

After several long delays, Taiwan's new Shinkansen bullet train begins commercial service, linking the island's two major cities.

At over 4 million square feet, Manila's new mega-mall is part commercial palace and social square.

A new report has been released in Japan that projects a sharp drop in the country's population over the next 50 years. The report predicts that a declining birth rate will cause a decrease of more than 30% by 2055.

New urban development in the former Saigon reflects the city's booming economy and ambition, but some look at other fast-moving Asian cities and worry about the consequences of such rapid growth.