Asia-Pacific

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

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.

September 21, 2010 - Bloomberg News

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.

September 7, 2010 - Market Urbanism

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.

August 21, 2010 - The Mainichi Daily Times

Two Conflicting Population Issues Affecting The World

A population research group reports on two simultaneously occurring population trends in the world affecting developed and less developed nations: Working age adults have dropped precipitously, while poorer nations grow too fast.

August 2, 2010 - The New York Times - World

China Agrees to Finance New Argentinian Metro and Rail Construction

A $10 billion dollar spending spree will improve transit in Cordoba and Buenos Aires, but also between Argentina and neighboring Bolivia. "Funds come from the China Development Bank and will require a 15% match from the Argentinian government."

July 16, 2010 - the transport politic

South Korea's City of The Future

Being developed on 1500 acres of Incheon's waterfront, Songdo is a completely planned city harnessing the latest innovations in green technology and planning doctrine aimed at creating a sustainable, self contained 'city of the future.'

July 16, 2010 - ABC News

Shanghai's Faux World Cities Fail to Catch On

A decade after its inception, Shanghai's One City, Nine Towns project, an ambitious attempt to manage the city's massive population growth via the creation of international-themed satellite communities, has failed to deliver hoped-for results.

July 7, 2010 - Assembly

Housing Prices Plummeting in Korea

The Korean Housing Institute claims that housing prices are more inflated in Korea than they've ever been in the States, and prices have begun to fall precipitously.

July 7, 2010 - The Korea Times

Asian Cities Must Look For A Sustainability Beyond the Economic

As Asian economic prowess powers the continent's businesses toward prosperity, governments need to find a way to accommodate the 2 billion extra people that will inhabit its major cities by the middle of the century.

July 1, 2010 - Financial Times

Free Rides on Bangkok's New Bus Rapid Transit System

All summer long the newly installed BRT in Bangkok will offer free rides to passengers as the kinks are worked out of the system.

July 1, 2010 - TheCityFix

Roadblocks Hinder Infrastructure in Russia's Olympic Host City

The relatively tropical seaside resort of Sochi, Russia will play host to the 2014 Winter Olympics. But building the infrastructure to support those games has become a major challenge for officials.

June 14, 2010 - The Vancouver Sun

The Skyscraper Debate

The jury is out on skyscrapers- are they responsible density, or terrible energy hogs? As Indian cities like Mumbai and Delhi grow, architect Aditi Nargundkar Pathak says the time to consider skyscrapers is now.

June 13, 2010 - http://www.theurbanvision.com

Cisco Helps Build "Instant Cities"

Cisco is contributing technology to Songdo City in South Korea, a brand new and complete city for a million people. China plans to build hundreds of these "cities-in-a-box" as a massive rural-to-urban migration occurs there.

June 3, 2010 - San Jose Mercury News

Land Use Issue Brings Down Japanese Premier

After backing down on a campaign promise to remove a U.S. military installation from the prefecture of Okinawa, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has been forced to resign.

June 3, 2010 - The New York Times

Leafs All Gone

Nissan Leafs, that is, and only for the year, though not one of these 19,000 preorders for the all-electric, plug-in car has yet to be shipped. The Leafs shouldn't venture too far from home - the range is 100 miles on a full charge.

May 29, 2010 - The New York Times - Business Day

Fighting High-Speed Rail With Lunch Boxes?

Taiwan's North-South high-speed rail line has attracted a lot of customers away from a traditional commuter rail line. The traditional line is playing the nostalgia card by bringing out old-fashioned railway box lunches.

May 25, 2010 - Focus Taiwan

China's Grand High Speed Rail Plans

China has plans not only to expand its own network of high speed trains, but to build the trains for the rest of the world. They are already giving Japan and Europe a run for their money. Not bad considering their first HSR line opened in 2008.

May 19, 2010 - The Washington Post

LaHood Rides MagLev

The line may only be 12 miles, but the train speeds at 312 mph. The Secretary of Transportation was in Japan as part of the effort to bring high speed rail to the U.S. though it's not clear whether he is in fact considering the maglev technology.

May 17, 2010 - The New York Times - Global Business

Microsoft Knows Where You're Going

Microsoft uses GPS data collected from your trips to predict where you're going and give you advice on how to get there more efficiently.

May 12, 2010 - Fast Company

Asleep at the Wheel of a High-Speed Train

The driver of a high-speed train in Taiwan fell asleep while going 190 miles per hour with hundreds of passengers on board.

May 10, 2010 - Gulf News

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.

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.