Asia-Pacific

China, Japan, other South East Asian countries, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands countries.

Planned City

Are Asia's Planned Cities a New Colonialism?

While they look clean and green on the drawing board, Asia's planned developments might be nothing more than cloned commercialism set in concrete. By undermining local culture, this 'smart city' approach may also prove unsustainable.

April 12, 2015 - The Global Urbanist

Asian Cities are the World's Safest

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released its Safe Cities Index 2015, finding that Asian cities lead the world in several measures of security.

February 9, 2015 - Global Post

Seizing the Moment: Nations Slash Energy Subsidies as Oil Prices Fall

Just as plummeting oil prices have caused state and federal political leaders to consider raising gas taxes, leaders in developing nations, both oil producers and consumers, are considering reductions in national energy subsidies.

February 5, 2015 - The New York Times

10 Years After the Indonesian Tsunami: Rehousing for Resilience

What can rehousing initiatives teach us about the ongoing struggle for urban resilience?

December 23, 2014 - Places Journal

It's a Hydropower World

Around the world, countries are building new dams for hydroelectric power at a frenzied pace. Vox examines the benefits and drawbacks of hydroelectric power.

October 29, 2014 - Vox

Study: Astounding Loss of Global Biodiversity in Last 40 Years

According to a newly released study by the World Wildlife Fund, the Zoological Society of London, and other NGOs, the world has lost half of its biodiversity, particularly in fresh water ecosystems and in developing nations.

October 7, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

'History of the Present' Series Examines Profound Urban Transformations

Emerging from a half century of dictatorship, can Myanmar's principal city be a model of sustainable, democratic development?

October 6, 2014 - Places Journal

Arriving in Texas: the Shinkansen Bullet Train

The Houston to Dallas high speed rail train will be built with the cooperation of Japan's Central Railway, a longtime successful and profitable operator of Shinkansen bullet train lines. Securing the private financing is key to the project.

August 20, 2014 - The Texas Tribune

Floating Vertical Farms Could Deliver and Monitor Food Production in Dense Cities

Known for its density with nearly 20,000 people per square mile, Singapore is changing its food systems strategy to produce more food locally, and reduce food waste.

August 6, 2014 - Fast Company Co.Exist

United States Overtakes Saudi Arabia as World's #1 Oil Producer

Bloomberg News shares news of a report showing that the surge in shale oil production has made the United States the top oil and natural gas liquids producer in the first quarter of 2014 and discusses its impact on domestic and global oil prices.

July 7, 2014 - Bloomberg News

World Bank Study Finds Large-Scale Benefits for 'Climate-Smart Development'

A new study by the World Bank examines the benefits for policies addressing clean transportation, energy efficiency in industry, and energy efficiency in buildings in five countries and the European Union.

June 26, 2014 - The World Bank

Hong Kong Towers

Friday Eye Candy: A Photo Critique of Asia's Megacities

Michael Wolf is a 60-year-old German photojournalist living in Hong Kong. In a recent interview, he describes his various projects in capturing the lives of the millions who call Asian megacities home.

May 23, 2014 - Vice

Dispersing Transit Commutes with Financial Incentives and Data

Urban Engines uses real-time transit data, and raffles, to encourage transit riders to commute during non-peak hours.

May 18, 2014 - CityLab

A Primer on Zoning in Japan

An intrepid blogger digs into the differences between Japanese zoning regulations and those here in the United States.

April 22, 2014 - Urban Kchoze

Are Environmentalists Digging Their Own Fracking Hole in Opposing Natural Gas Exports?

In a pair of articles, The Hill's energy and environment blogger Timothy Cara looks at political efforts to increase natural gas exports to Europe on account of Russia's annexation of Crimea, part of Ukraine, and environmental groups opposed to it.

March 24, 2014 - The Hill

Natural Gas Dependence Hobbles Western Response to Crimean Crisis

With the Crimean referendum just days away, President Obama hopes that economic sanctions will cause Russia to back-off its threatened annexation from Ukraine. However, Europe may be unlikely to go along due to it's dependence on Russian natural gas.

March 11, 2014 - Living on Earth

Chinese Cities Consider Congestion Pricing

Air pollution and traffic are choking China's largest cities: a recent conference reveals that officials are looking to solve these twin transportation problems with economics.

December 28, 2013 - StreetsBlog NYC

10 Lessons From 'Un-Smart' Cities

Technology company Ericsson has published its 2013 list of the world's cities with the best information and communications technology (ICT) networks, but there are also good things happening in the cities with the least developed networks.

November 29, 2013 - Future Cities

Desperation Grows in the Philippines As Aid is Slow to Arrive

As disaster relief efforts began to grow in the Philippine city of Tacloban and surrounding areas in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, logistical difficulties are hampering aid efforts. 90 percent of the city is thought to have been destroyed.

November 13, 2013 - BBC News

The Super Typhoon and Climate Change

The head of the Philippines delegation at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Warsaw suggests climate change is responsible for Typhoon Haiyan. Is he right? Quartz investigates the connection.

November 12, 2013 - Quartz

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.