Asia-Pacific
The Brookings Institution released the Global Metro Monitor 2018 report this week.
Brookings
A Shinkansen train will launching service on June 30 with Hello Kitty seats, benches, and a dining car.
The Japan Times
Births and birth rates dropped to a 30-year low, not an issue of concern yet, but if the trend continues, the U.S. could join other developed nations that must deal with the consequences of an aging population. Immigration plays an uncertain factor.
NPR: The Two-Way
China has stopped purchasing the recyclables that millions of Americans place curbside on recycling days, upending the industry. Recyclables are already directed toward landfills as domestic markets are sought. Berkeley, Calif. may go a novel route.
The Wall Street Journal via MSN Money
Bus drivers in Japan put blankets over fare boxes and continue to drive their routes, in order to serve their passengers while on strike.
NPR
The International Energy Agency found that China and India were responsible for 40 percent of the increased energy demand. The biggest decrease in carbon dioxide emissions came from the U.S., largely due to increased use of renewables.
International Energy Agency
A series of partnerships announced is pushing integrating taxi service and artificial intelligence in Japan.
TechCrunch
At the ninth session of the World Urban Forum held earlier in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy introduced their new "Pedestrian First" toolkit to measure and promote walkability in urban environments.
Thomson Reuters Foundation
Congestion pricing, done right (details matter), mitigates a downside of urban density: traffic congestion. Professor John Rennie Short explores the history of congestion pricing, its application in Singapore and London, and why it's good for NYC.
The Conversation
South Korea has made public transit a key part of its approach to cleaning the air.
The Korea Times
CityLab has produced a pair of articles geared toward safe driving behaviors on New Year's Eve.
CityLab
The city about to set a new standard for battery-powered electric bus transit was a small collection of fishing villages just 40 years ago.
The City Fix
Early or late, a train that leaves "not on time" is unacceptable in Japan.
The New York Times
When it comes to prefabricated housing, Japan is far ahead of the rest of the world. Will techniques from Japan's efficient modular home manufacturers inform a growing prefab industry in the United States?
Curbed
The ride-sharing company produces a terrific illustration of how bad Bangkok traffic can be, but not how Uber would help.
Streetsblog USA
Despite the presence of a formidable (and expensive) underground flood control system, Tokyo may confront floods and rainfall that will challenge the city's capacity to protect itself.
The New York Times
The Economist's Intelligence Unit has released its 2017 Safe Cities Index.
Quartz
Vietnam's capitol city Hanoi, following other South East Asian country restrictions on mopeds and two-wheeled vehicles, approves a controversial ban.
Saigoneer
The Guardian's former environmental editor asks if urban sprawl is as much to blame as climate change for the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston.
Guardian
Feature
After accepting nearly 200 nominees for consideration, we're asking for votes to determine the "Most Influential Urbanists" of all time.
