Asia-Pacific

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

Crumbling concrete bridge

Why Do Americans Put Up With Decaying Infrastructure?

Compared to Europe's high-speed rail, paved roads, and underground power lines, America lags behind with its unreliable trains, potholes, and overhead power lines. Uwe E. Reinhardt questions why Americans put up with the decaying infrastructure.

November 20, 2012 - The New York Times

Images of the World's Most Uncomfortable Commute

You've probably heard of the improbable lengths to which Tokyo's subway goes to pack in riders. But you likely haven't seen images of "unwilling subjects trapped in the train window" like those taken by photographer Michael Wolf.

November 20, 2012 - Slate

Got a Few Extra Bucks? Name a City After Yourself

Tyler Falk reports that the Japanese city currently known as Izumisano has a enterprising idea to help reduce its $1.2 billion debt by selling its naming rights.

November 4, 2012 - SmartPlanet

Asia's Megacities are Most Vulnerable to Superstorms

A study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) identified twenty coastal cities, which by population, would be most exposed to flooding and superstorms. Fifteen are mega-cities in Asia.

November 1, 2012 - Channel News Asia

Planes that Run on Natural Gas

Qatar Airlines is gearing up their jets to run on a fuel derived from natural gas - so don't expect to see fuel tanks holding liquefied gas. Similar to the "Messerschmitt Fuel" in World War II that was derived from coal, they are called synfuels.

October 31, 2012 - The New York Times - Green Blog

More Transit for the Same Cost? Auckland Plan Shows How

An innovate plan to reconceive Auckland's transit network from the ground up led by Jarrett Walker demonstrates the dramatic efficiencies that can be gained, without additional cost, by increasing transfers.

October 11, 2012 - Human Transit

Do You Smell Cigarette Smoke?

Smoking is physically harmful to smokers and non-smokers alike, but what about its impact on public space? Nate Berg reports on a new paper in Urban Studies based on interviews in Singapore -- where smoking has been regulated since 1970.

October 2, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Will Auckland Pass Up Yet Another Opportunity to Transform its Waterfront

After many, many, many failures-to-launch, Auckland may finally be taking its waterfront seriously. A series of articles in The New Zealand Herald explores the waterfront's disappointing past and promising future.

September 30, 2012 - The New Zealand Herald

Indonesia Drives Headlong into the Automobile Age

Consultant predicts a 275% increase in car ownership by 2025.

September 27, 2012 - The Jakarta Post

Map Apps Move Indoors

A time when your mobile phone can help you navigate the homogenous corridors of an indoor mall as easily as the route that got you there is, seemingly, not far off, as Seoul unveils an app that can navigate the city both above and below street level.

September 12, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

New South Korean 'Mini-Capital' Aims to Rebalance Country's Development

With South Korean officials set to move into their sparkling new "mini capital" next month, Chico Harlan examines plans for the new city that "will either drive growth outside the overpopulated capital or end up as an ill-conceived waste of money."

August 20, 2012 - The Washington Post

Friday Funny: The Worst Parking Habits in the World

You may have heard of the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan for the "enlightened authoritarianism" of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, or as the world's largest landlocked country. It's now earning a well-deserved reputation for its parking habits.

August 17, 2012 - The Atlantic

Generational Divide Opens Gap in Post-Tsunami Planning

The Economist looks at the generational gap that is hampering efforts to rebuild tsunami-stricken communities in Japan, as the elderly favor restoring what was lost as soon as possible, and the young seek sustainable revitalization.

August 6, 2012 - The Economist

In one of Asia's Most Artificial Cities, a River Flows Free

Singapore de-channelizes an urban river as part of a plan to preserve more of its rainwater, creating a park in the process.

July 27, 2012 - THE DIRT

Is a Slime Mold Competing for Your Job?

Transportation planners who thought the current job climate couldn't possibly get worse may want to ignore this piece. John Metcalfe reports on studies that show slime is just as effective in planning the path of an urban rail system as humans.

July 24, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Bizarre Taxpayer Headache: Street Pole Dancing in Aukland, NZ

Over the past year and a half more than 40 street poles have suffered damages, Paul Chapman reports, as Aukland prostitutes employ the poles for exotic dances.

July 19, 2012 - The Telegraph

Pop-Up Cinema Brings Blockbusters to Your Stoop

In case the everyday theater of urban street life isn't quite adequate in an age of $200 million Hollywood blockbusters, a design collective from Auckland, New Zealand has created a way to turn any stoop into a mini cinema.

July 13, 2012 - Architizer

Undersea-Oriented Development

Expo 2012 is happening now in Korea, and features a panorama of a futuristic underwater city as part of a focus on future sustainability.

June 26, 2012 - The Vancouver Sun

America's Fastest Growing Racial Group

Asian and Hispanic immigration rates have reversed from 2007: Asians now constitute 36% of all new arrivals (legal and illegal) while Hispanic rates, for a number of reasons, have dropped to 31%, according to a new Pew Research Center report.

June 22, 2012 - The New York Times - U.S.

The Indispensable Guide for Your Next Trip to North Korea

A new guidebook to the architecture and culture of the North Korean capital comes in two handy volumes -- censored and illicit. Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan has the details.

June 16, 2012 - Fast Company Co:Design

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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.