Asia-Pacific
China, Japan, other South East Asian countries, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands countries.
Are the Dangers of Cycling Over-Hyped?
It goes without saying that cycling entails a degree of risk - but are they unduly discussed to the point that it reduces ridership? Cyclicious blogger Richard Masoner gave the issue thought when he heard of a cyclist fatality in a familiar area.
'Tradition and Stability' Win as Tokyo Selected to Host 2020 Olympics
With the selection of Tokyo over Istanbul and Madrid as the host of the 2020 Summer Olympics, continuing concerns over radioactivity trumped social instability and a deep economic recession as the least dangerous alternative.
Maglev Breaks Speed Record in Japan Trials
New maglev train in Japan reached 310 mph on a test track. With construction about to begin, some worry that declining population would make the project unsustainable.
Gorky Park's Transformation from Gritty to Glam
Moscow's Gorky Park, once the rundown backdrop of a murder novel, has experienced a remarkable turnaround. Today, the mayor imagines its recovery as part of his legacy while Muscovites simply see it as the perfect place to play, dine, and relax.
Has Asia Hit Peak Mega-Mall?
Asia's mega-malls have been booming for over a decade, many built atop former park space, and now are suffering from high vacancy rates and low consumer spending.
The World's 10 Best Connected Cities
A new report out this week has ranked the Top 10 "Internet Cities" around the globe, based on a set of five criteria: connection speed, availability of citywide WiFi, openness to innovation, support of public data, and security/data privacy.
The Chilling Beauty of Hong Kong's High-Rise Residences
In dizzying towers of dozens of monotonous, yet colorful, stories, Hong Kong residents make their homes in apartments that average 400 square feet. For photographer Michael Wolf the stark high-rise landscape provides powerful subject matter.
The Positive Energy Potential of Suburban Sprawl
What if most cars were electrics, most electricity was generated locally, and new development was required to have solar? Would this paradigm make sprawl more energy sustainable than compact growth? A new paper argues yes.
Enjoy Playing With the Largest Photo of Tokyo Ever Taken
Using 8,000 photos taken from atop the Tokyo Tower, photographer Jeffrey Martin has assembled a 150-gigapixel panorama of the city. The best part - its interactive - meaning you can pan and zoom to an incredible level of detail.
What's It Like to Design for North Korea?
Middlemen, private jets, communication blackouts: providing design services to the world's most reclusive regime isn't easy. Mark Byrnes describes how one architecture and planning firm was selected to redesign North Korea's airports.
A No-Brainer: Taichung Recognized as Intelligent Community of the Year
Taichung, Taiwan (pop 2.7 million) has beaten out six other finalists to claim the Intelligent Community Forum’s (ICF) designation as "intelligent community of the year". Robert Bell and Sylvie Albert describe what makes the city an intelligent icon.
Friday Funny: Plumbing New Solutions for Avoiding Subway Germs
Seen across the Internet this week: a picture of a crazy (brilliant?) idea for stabilizing one's self on a subway car without touching any germ-filled surfaces. It may not be the wildest thing you'll see on a Tokyo subway, but it's probably close.
Surveying the World's Fastest Trains, and a Possible New Entry to the List
The Telegraph compiles a list of the fastest train trips in the world, from the 90 minute journey from Brussels to Paris at 186 miles per hour to Shanghai's 268 mile per hour maglev train. A new service is poised to join them.
It's Alive! 5 of the World's Most Bionic Buildings
Cate St Hill examines the futuristic systems being employed by the most biologically advanced buildings in the world.
Friday Funny: Japan Cracks Down on Fun
Apparently the kids in Japan are just too darn loud. In a country where the old increasingly outnumber the young, crotchety old folks are cracking down on the sounds of childhood.
Culture Influences Pedestrian Behavior at Crosswalks, Study Says
The results of a recent study of pedestrian road crossing behavior suggests that the risks we take as walkers depend largely on our cultural context.
Asia's Emergence in One Stunning Map
A simple graphic posted to Reddit recently shows that more than half of the world's total population resides within a circle drawn over Asia. For Matthew Yglesias, it "underscores the fundamental truth of 21st-century economics."
Play Planner With Auckland Growth Simulator
In a quest to develop a plan to house the additional 1 million people expected to grow New Zealand's largest city in the next 30 years, Auckland is asking residents to submit ideas by using a "housing simulator" game.
Vietnam Tries to Head Off Rising Car Culture by Building Transit
Lien Hoang looks at efforts by Vietnam's government to get ahead of rising living standards, and the auto congestion that often accompanies, by building modern transit systems in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Why We Should Forget That Fukushima Ever Happened
Nuclear power has saved 370 times more lives than it has ended in the last four decades, says a NASA paper. Despite the horrors of Japan's ongoing nuclear disaster, we'll need to rely on nuclear power for the sake of the environment and human health.
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
