SHANGHAI, CHINA--I've been a fan of New Urbanism for several years, but I've always considered myself an urban "pluralist"--someone who doesn't believe there is an "objective" or general urban form that is persistently successful over long periods of time. Indeed, Bob Bruegmann's thesis in Sprawl: A Compact History, suggests that urban form changes and evolves over time, although generally in a less dense direction.
Beijing
China Says Car Bans Will Stop After Olympics
Despite improved air quality, China says it has no plans to continue the car control measures it has enacted during the Olympics to clean the city's air.
Reuters
A Struggle Between Security and Civil Rights at Beijing's Olympics
Security is a major concern during large public events like the Olympics. The Chinese government is making preparations for a safe event, but could they go too far?
Buildings Magazine
Beijing's Olympic Lessons for Chicago
Olympics-related construction in Beijing has impressed many, but does little to make the city a better place. Architecture critic Blair Kamin says Chicago needs to be careful about not repeating China's mistakes if it hosts the games in 2016.
The Chicago Tribune
The Mega Capital of the World
China is rapidly becoming home to more and more mega-cities, and there's little sign of it slowing down.
The Washington Post
China Rail Goes High Speed
A new high-speed rail line has opened in China, just in time for the Olympics.
BBC
China's Architecture of Control
For China, the Olympics represent a struggle between letting people in and controlling what they see and do. This is a problem, writes Andrew Yang, that implicates the Olympics-related architecture in a bad way.
The Architect's Newspaper
Pay No Attention to the Neighborhood Behind the Curtain
In a last-minute effort to beautify the city before the start of the 2008 Summer Olympics, officials in Beijing have put up walls and screens to hide unsightly neighborhoods from the eyes of visitors. Those behind the walls are not happy.
The New York Times
Underpreserved Beijing Feels Sting of Gentrification
As Beijing undergoes rapid redevelopment, many historic buildings have been lost in the scramble. Now the few that remain are inspiring a flood of gentrification.
The New York Times
Evictions Continue As Beijing Prepares for Olympics
With less than a month left before the start of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, residents in the Chinese metropolis are still being evicted to make way for event-related construction.
The Washington Post via the Boston Globe
Orange County, China
The extent of China's embrace of American-style suburbanization is best illustrated by one of its newest gated communities, which is actually called Orange County.
Good
In the Eye of Beijing's Boom
This article from National Geographic looks at the construction boom that is rapidly changing the face of Beijing.
National Geographic
Beijing to Polluting Construction Industry: Stop
In an effort to improve the city's air quality in time for this summer's Olympic Games, officials in Beijing are planning to halt all construction and other polluting processes for two months starting in mid-July.
The New York Times
A Look Inside Beijing's Mind-Boggling Development
This article from Metropolis Magazine features a tour of Beijing as it prepares for the Summer Olympics. The scale of development is almost overwhelming, according to author Philip Nobel.
Metropolis Magazine
World's Biggest Airport Opens in Beijing
Beijing's new Norman Foster-designed airport terminal -- 20% bigger than all of Heathrow -- has just opened on the site of 10 former villages.
The Globe and Mail
Communist China's GPS congestion management capitalism
Thu, 05/10/2007 - 05:46
BEIJING, 9 MAY 2007--Anyone questioning China's potential to become the dominant player in the 21st century and beyond need look no further than the Beijing Transportation Information Center. The entrepreneurial leader of the center, Mr. WANG gang, has lead the development of the most innovative system for managing traffic congestion I've seen, putting U.S. systems to shame and leapfrogging over London's cutting edge signal coordinatin system. Rather than try to regulate congestion by limiting automobile use, they have figured out a way to use technology to make its use more efficient.
Beijing's traffic nightmare and public transit
Wed, 05/09/2007 - 06:26
BEIJING--When I first learned that I wouldn't be able to rent a car in Beijing, I was disappointed. That's how I usually break away from the business "bubble" to learn something about a city. But, it didn't take more than an hour to realize that I was better off with a local driver than tackling it myself. Driving habits, combined with roads choking with pedestrians, cars, buses, and taxis, convinced me I needed to leave the driving to a "pro".
