Asia-Pacific
China, Japan, other South East Asian countries, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands countries.
Protests in Tokyo over Privatizing Public Space
Miyashita Park in Tokyo is an historic site with a history of homeless encampments. Officials plan to turn the park into a skateboard park, with naming rights purchased by Nike.
Temporarily Activating and Renting Unused Spaces
In Japan, owners of vacant space can rent them out by the hour, day or week to people who need them for temporary purposes thanks to a new website.
The City of the Future is an Air Hub
New Songdo City in South Korea is the model for new cities, according to Greg Lindsay and John D. Kasarda, who argue that its airport is its most important element.
The Difference Between Roads and Streets
Tao Rugkhapan reports on the etiology traffic accidents which are becoming all to common in Bangkok as vehicle speeds increase along with lane tolerances and the number of elevated expressways.
The Art of Overhead Wires
Photographer Andreas Gefeller has taken a series of photographs of clumps of overhead wires in Japan. The photos highlighting the chaos of the clusters by isolating them in space.
The Political History of Asia's Mega-Cities
By looking at Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai, this article from City Journal explores how politics and different governmental ideologies have shaped the growth of these mega-cities.
Conflict Between History and Modernity Plays Out in Seoul District
Single-story, tiled-roof houses called hanok used to cover the footprint of Seoul, now a city of skyscrapers and avant-garde architecture. Today many describe the hanok as "endangered,"and conflict has come to a head in the small district of Bukchon.
Hong Kong Struggles To Hold On To Its Roots
Hong Kong's oldest living resident, the banyan tree, once lined entire streets in the city and provided an iconic presence that many enjoyed and many felt classified as a nuisance. Now, due to urban expansion, only a cluster of twenty trees remain.
Urban Agriculture Craze Boon to Farmers in Japan
Japan's yard-less city dwellers are increasingly drawn to "weekend farming" plots rented from commercial farmers on the urban fringe. Could it help the country's struggling agriculture sector? Kenji Hall reports.
More Failed Rail in New Zealand?
Owen McShane argues the newly consolidated Auckland Region government is turning to rail transit initiatives without any evidence that such projects actually work.
Biofuel-Producing Architecture
A proposal for a skyscraper that grows biodiesel-emitting algae took 2nd place in a competition to design the 300m tall Taiwan Tower in Taichung.
Failures in Thailand's Shopping Mall Urbanism
Shopping malls are scattered all over Bangkok. On one hand they create a distinct urban setting in the city, but they also fall far short of creating actual community, according to this post.
An Even More Urban Future in Japan
Major developments have been popping up all over Japan's heavily urbanized cities. This piece from The Diplomat looks at what urban future lies ahead for Japan.
A New City and Business Hub for South Korea
New Songdo City is rising in South Korea, part of an effort to lure foreign investment and business that will help revitalize the struggling economy.
Japan's New 'Smart' City
The city Yokohama could be Japan's next exportable good. officials there want it to be a low-emissions "smart" city -- a model they hope to be able to convince other cities to replicate.
American Imperialism, Islands and Bird Droppings
A Columbia professor finds an obscure 1856 document that created the legal precedents that allowed the United States to seize and hold islands, and it all ties back to bird poop.
Bike-Powered Monorail Gets Google Grant
The Shweeb is a person-powered monorail that currently only exists as an amusement park attraction in New Zealand. But with a $1 million Google grant, the creator may yet see his dream of a commuter Shweeb system.
Livability And Breathability
Hong Kong and Singapore are two thriving, rival Asian cities. But when evaluated in terms of livability, Hong Kong was rated #71 while Singapore scored #28. Singapore's cleaner air was considered a major factor. Hong Kong is making changes.
Exporting Suburbanism
Developing countries have begun importing Western-style pro-sprawl urban planning policies, often to their detriment. Kuala Lumpur and cities across the communist world are examined.
Reducing Cyclist-Pedestrian Accidents in Japan
New rules in Japan say that cyclists are liable for accidents between themselves and pedestrians, especially on the country's sidewalks.
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 Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
