Asia-Pacific
China, Japan, other South East Asian countries, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands countries.
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.
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.
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.
New Planning Law Will Protect Istanbul's Historic Views And Lines Of Sight
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has announced a plan aimed at protecting the city's views by preventing construction of tall buildings in lines of sight and preventing illegal building construction.
How the U.N. Uses GIS to Manage Humantarian Responses
Two planners with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reveal how they use GIS to coordinate their efforts, using the recent tsunami and earthquake in Japan as an example.
Island Nation Considers Abandoning Ship, Going Mobile
Kiribati, a tiny island nation south of Hawaii, is facing a mounting threat from climate change. President Anote Tong is apparently seriously considering putting all 100,000 of Kiribati's people onto a manmade floating island.
Power Players: 25 "Greenest" Cities
The Atlantic ranks cities around the globe with a roaring economic engine. Tokyo's formidable $1.2-trillion economic output propels the City to No. 1 spot. NYC, Chicago, Boston, and D.C. come in at No. 2, 4, 6, and 10, respectively.
IBM Releases "Commuter Pain Index"
A survey of over 8,000 commuters in 20 cities across 6 continents yields an alarming result. By and large, commuters in emerging economies face traffic conditions that are far worse than those who live in the U.S. and Europe.
Community Involvement Influenced by Anarchy
This Big City team looks at "small places of anarchy" in Toyko that has taken root in DIY Gardening, Collaborative Mental Mapping and FIXing the Neighborhood.
Melbourne Ranked as Most Livable City
With high scores in five broad categories, Melbourne, Australia received the highest spot in livability rankings from The Economist's research unit.
Creating A Silicon Valley in Russia
Officials in Russia are hoping to create their own version of Silicon Valley by luring tech companies to the Skolkovo innovation hub.
Mag-Lev Project Meets Approval in Japan
Japanese officials recently approved plans to build a 320-mile magnetic levitation train system. The $114 billion project is expected to begin construction in 2014.
A Russia-U.S. Tunnel?
Russian officials are pushing a plan to build a tunnel connecting Russian territory to the United States.
Friday Funny: Crossing the Street in Vietnam Takes Gumption
What crosswalk? Watch this man effortlessly synchronizes his steady gait with the oncoming cavalry of cars, buses, and motorcycles as he crosses a busy street in Vietnam. If there is fear, he sure does a great job not showing it.
Are Slums "Cohesive, Sustainable" and "Here to Stay?"
Paul Mason takes a tour of Manila's 10-year-old Estero de San Miguel slum to test the theory that slums have upsides and finds that understanding the question's realities is as important as trying to find the answer.
Multi-Million Dollar Student Housing in Manhattan
It is not uncommon for wealthy Chinese to spend seven figures - in cash - on real estate "as housing for children studying in New York."
Real Estate Bliss in Singapore
Like the Hamptons for affluent New Yorkers, Singapore emerges as the go-to real estate hot spot - replacing Hong Kong - for wealthy Chinese. "It confers class status in China to say that you own a flat in Singapore," asserts Mohamed Ismail.
Testing the Smart Grid
South Korea is making perhaps the biggest moves towards creating a vast "smart" electricity grid with a test grid of homes equipped with new meters and applications that communicate with each other and the grid.
Theme Parks Booming in Asia
More and more theme parks are being planned across Asia, which is creating new opportunities for designers.
A Liter of Light: Cheap, Sustainable "Bulbs" for Informal Dwellings
In the Philippines, "eco-entrepreneur" Ilac Diaz is spreading an idea from MIT using 2-liter soda bottles and bleach to bring a 60 watt light bulb's worth of light into the building below.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
