Asia-Pacific

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

The Challenges of Memorializing

In light of the recent controversy surrounding the Eisenhower Memorial in Washington DC, and observations from a recent trip to Japan, Christopher Hawthorne pens an opinion piece on memorials - the "eternally fraught corner of design practice.

March 21, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Relocating An Entire Country To Escape Climate Change

You think the preparations your coastal town are considering making to accommodate rising seal levels are onerous? Well read about the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, who are considering the need to move their entire populace to Fiji.

March 11, 2012 - Inhabitat

Friday Funny: The "Shut Up" Gun

Ever wanted to silence aggressive cell phone talkers or that intractable opponent speaking out against your brilliant redevelopment plan? Well researchers in Japan have developed just the product for you, reports Mark Hachman.

March 9, 2012 - PCMag.com

Roadblocks Along the Road to Recovery in Japan

Christopher Hawthorne reports from Japan on the many obstacles preventing areas destroyed by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami from proceeding with rebuilding, as the recovery effort stalls in the cleanup stage.

March 9, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Destruction and Renewal in Japan

A series of stunning photo comparisons in The Washington Post and The New York Times document the magnitude of destruction unleashed by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and the steps achieved to date towards recovery.

March 9, 2012 - The Washington Post

Sustainability To Be a Centerpiece of Japan's Rebuilding Effort

Having just returned from a United Nations-led tour of disaster-ravaged areas of Japan, Warren Karlenzig reports on efforts across the region to rebuild along smart growth and green economic development models.

March 6, 2012 - Common Current

The Growing Popularity of Women-Only Mass Transit

Over the past 100 years, women-only train cars have come and gone in Japan. Daniel Krieger reports on why these subway cars have endured amongst women’s concerns for safety.

February 11, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Exhibit Seeks to Understand Japan's 'Metabolism' Architecture

The new exhibit at Toyko's Mori Art Museum will be the first architecture showcase since the 2011 earthquake, and displays a movement central to the country's history of building and rebuilding.

February 7, 2012 - The New York Times

For a Japanese Island, Reconstruction Kills Revival

Since the Japanese government spent $300 billion rebuilding Okushiri after a 1993 tsunami, things have taken a grim, ironic turn: with high-paying construction jobs leaving, so are young people who no longer wish to be part of a fishing economy.

January 11, 2012 - The New York Times

Indonesia's Growth Overwhelming its Public Infrastructure

Indonesia's economy is growing but the crumbling infrastructure is costing residents.

January 9, 2012 - NPR

Did China's Real Estate Bubble Just Burst?

Steep and sudden price reductions are being felt in real estate markets in Shanghai and across China. Indicators suggest that the 'biggest bubble of the century' may have just burst.

December 30, 2011 - Foreign Affairs

A Totalitarian Landscape

Images from "The Atlantic Cities" offer a glimpse into the architectural landscape of Kim Jong-Il's dictatorship in North Korea.

December 23, 2011 - The Atlantic Cities

Environmental Devastation From Russia's Oil Drilling Considered Routine

It's on the scale of a Deepwater Horizon spill every 2 months - except that it's considered the cost of doing business. Aging pipes, lax oversight and inclement weather all combine to make an estimated 5 million tons of annual spillage.

December 20, 2011 - AP via Yahoo Finance

Where There is Only Muck, Tadao Ando Sees a Floating Forest

Famed architect Tadao Ando wants to transform 220 acres of landfill in Tokyo Bay into a floating forest of almost half a million trees.

December 7, 2011 - The Asahi Shinbun

Asia's "Instant" Cities: Perfect Cities or Perfect Storm?

The "utopian" cities being built from scratch in Asia to accommodate its fantastic rate of urbanization are striving to be smarter and greener, but may also be financially risky.

November 28, 2011 - Slate

An Ancient Neighborhood Booms in Vietnam

Hanoi's Ancient Quarter, founded in 1010 A.D. and built around a plan from the 15th century, is seeing an entrepreneurial boom. Planners are struggling to maintain the unique character of the community in the process.

November 27, 2011 - POLIS

Assessing Asia's Brand New Cities

In this piece, Greg Lindsay take a cautiously optimistic stance on whether or not from-scratch Asian cities are the way to address urban overpopulation.

November 26, 2011 - Slate

Mongolia Constructs Glacier To Cool Capital

The Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator will begin construction this winter of an artificial glacier to cool the city next summer and provide melt water for drinking and irrigation.

November 21, 2011 - The Atlantic

How - and Where - Should We Live?

A new report predicts how - and where - we'll be living in the near future, and where planners and developers should focus.

November 19, 2011 - The Atlantic Cities

How Transportation Planners Managed the Evacuation of Tokyo

InTransition magazine examined the daunting difficulties transportation authorities and the public faced while trying to evacuate Tokyo on the day of the Great Tohuku Earthquake in March.

November 15, 2011 - InTransition

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.