South Asia

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

Rewiring Manila to Avoid Devastation of Natural Disasters

The leading architect and urban planner from the Philippines is calling on the city of Manila to take stronger precautions in the face of earthquakes and other natural disasters.

March 3, 2010 - Philippine Daily Inquirer

Indonesia Considers New Capital as Jakarta Sinks

As sea levels rise and flooding threatens the foundations on which the city was built, the Indonesian capital of Jakarta is literally sinking into the sea. Now the president is pushing a plan to find a new home for the country's capital.

February 23, 2010 - Agence France Presse

Pedestrians in the Sky

Pedestrians, street vendors, scooters and squatters all compete for space on the gridlocked sidewalks of Mumbai, where nearly 60% of the population travels by foot. Solution? 50 elevated walkways, or "skywalks."

February 2, 2010 - TheCityFix.com

Indonesian High-Speed Rail May Be Too Good to Be True

Private investors are claiming that they can build a $3 billion, 220-mile high speed rail system in Indonesia by the end of 2011. But the plan may be too ambitious to pull off -- or just not a good idea in the first place.

January 10, 2010 - The Infrastructurist

Finding A Sustainabe Path for Jakarta

Jakarta, Indonesia is the world's sixth most populated metropolitan area, and it's on track to move up in ranks within the next decade. Some planners are trying to figure out how to guide this developing megacity onto a sustainable path.

November 7, 2009 - The City Fix

Smaller May Be Better in Developer Biz

While a number of mega retail developers crashed and burned during the recession, some smaller developers have thrived.

November 6, 2009 - Retail Traffic Magazine

Growth of Asian Cities Means Growth in Greenhouse Gases

A new study from the Asian Development Bank predicts that 20 years from now, Asian cities will be responsible for more than half of the world's greenhouse gases.

September 2, 2009 - Common Current

Transit-Oriented Asia

Dr. Ming Zhang of the University of Texas at Austin says that Asian cities, despite their density, have a lot to learn from Western transit-oriented development practices.

August 26, 2009 - Reconnecting America

Hanoi 2030

A consortium of consultants has released an ambitious urban development plan for Hanoi City in Vietnam, including an extensive green corridor.

July 22, 2009 - VietNamNet Bridge

A Building Boom with a Human Cost

This piece from Next American City looks at the human toll major building projects are taking on construction workers in China, Dubai and other rapidly developing places.

March 13, 2009 - Next American City

The Challenge of Water in Illegal Slums

This audio slideshow from Financial Times looks at the severe shortage of clean water in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and what some activists are trying to do to provide clean water for the dwellers of the city's illegal slums.

December 27, 2008 - Financial Times

Bicycles Disappearing From Asia

Researchers in Asia are warning that unless governments start to make their urban planning policies more bicycle-friendly, bikes could virtually disappear from the urban environment within a decade.

November 18, 2008 - The Jakarta Post

Bangla-Doomed?

Rising sea levels caused by global climate change are predicted to swallow the country of Bangladesh by the end of the century.

June 21, 2008 - Belfast Telegraph

Providing Public Services a Challenge for Karachi's Mayor

Tackling urban infrastructure problems in Karachi, Pakistan, is an uphill battle for Mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal. With few services, continuing violence and a rising population, he has his work more than cut out for him.

June 3, 2008 - NPR

Bringing 'The Projects' to Mumbai

Mumbai, Istanbul and other cities in the developing world are launching ambitious slum redevelopment plans that seem doomed to repeat the "urban inhumanity" of western postwar urban renewal projects.

January 14, 2008 - The Globe and Mail

A Planner's 2008 Planning Wishlist for Pakistan

A Pakistani planner offers an urban planning wish list for the most urbanized country in South Asia.

December 27, 2007 - The International news

City Noise Posing Health Threat

Ho Chi Minh City is one of the loudest cities in the world. It's excessive noise is being targeted by the World Health Organization as a serious threat to physical and mental health.

December 20, 2007 - Thahn Nien

Infrastructure Versus Taliban

Construction of a road through a dangerous part of Afghanistan is the U.S. Military's attempt to stabilize the Taliban-controlled area.

November 12, 2007 - NPR

Can Recreating A 16th-Century Garden Heal Kabul?

A $5 million garden restoration in the heart of Kabul is drawing hundreds of visitors and reminding us that beauty always matters, even in a time of war.

November 8, 2007 - The Globe & Mail

Growth Threatens Historic Hanoi

Vietnam has the second-strongest economic growth in Asia, which translates to rapid development and the destruction of many famous architectural sites in Hanoi, the country's capital.

September 12, 2007 - The Globe and Mail

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Top Books

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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.