China

Tiny Parks Make Big Impact in Hong Kong
New pocket parks provide valuable opportunities for residents to play and gather in the territory's dense neighborhoods.

Friday Funny: The Onion Blasts U.S. for Slow Trains
The satirical news site The Onion has imagined a world where China and the United States are competing over which country can operate the slowest, least dependable train systems.

Skyscraper Watch: Where the Tallest Buildings Are Under Construction
Of the 25 tallest buildings currently under construction around the world, only one is foun in the United States. The vast majority are in China.

We Now Can Build Really Tall Skyscrapers. But Why?
The new book Super Tall, by architect and writer Stefan Al, explains how the new generation of skyscrapers are built and how they fit into their respective urban fabrics.

Second Anniversary of the COVID-19 Pandemic
March 11 marked the second anniversary of WHO's declaration of the pandemic and the beginning of its third year. Cases continue to plummet in the U.S. and plateau globally while war in Europe has overshadowed the virus that has killed 6 million.

COVID Zero: The High Price of Containment
Vision Zero: a strategy to eliminate road crashes, particularly those with fatal outcomes. COVID Zero: a strategy to end coronavirus transmission. Only one has worked—but at a steep price.

The Fastest Growing Cities in the World
None of the fastest growing cities in the world are found in North or South America.

Pandemic Paradox: World's Most Vaccinated Country Also the Most Infected
Is the lesson from the Seychelles, an African archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean, that all COVID-19 vaccines are not the same? If so, that could spell trouble for other countries relying on the Sinopharm and Covishield vaccines.

An American Lockdown
Words matter. Road safety advocates know that "crashes are not accidents." Similarly, calling coronavirus restrictions "lockdowns," fails to distinguish the severity among public health orders. On January 6, America experienced a true lockdown.

The Pandemic Expert in the Biden Cabinet Who is Not on the Biden Health Team
Ron Klain, President Obama's former Ebola response coordinator, will serve as chief of staff to President-elect Joe Biden. This post also looks at all the appointments and nominations for Biden's health team that will devise a Covid response.

Cities Have Doubled in Size Globally in the Last 20 Years, Study Says
New research from China finds an incredible rate of urban expansion in North America and China.

Pandemic Reveals the Importance of Open Space to Health and Well-Being
Hong Kong provides a lesson in the importance of open space for the health and well-being of residents, especially during the isolation and distancing of a pandemic.

Better Planning Needed to Address Effects of Urban Heat Island in Hong Kong
A recent study reveals the detrimental impact of hot nights compared to hot days, with the region experiencing hotter summers and more hot days due to climate change and the heat island effect.

China's Big Recovery Bet: High-Speed Rail
In China, economic stimulus means high-speed rail spending—and lots of it.

The Greener Side of Hong Kong: Five Parks to Visit
Most people only know Hong Kong as an urban jungle and one of the densest cities in the world. However, there are actually green places where its residents can go for exercise and relaxation.

The Post-Pandemic Economy Could Be Dirtier Than Ever
The environmental gains at the beginning of the pandemic were only temporary., and there are signs more signs every day that the economy will be dirtier than ever in the future.

Academic Studies: Staying at Home Saved Millions of Lives Globally
Separate coronavirus studies from the University of California at Berkeley and Imperial College London published June 8 in the journal Nature show the life and health-saving value of domestic stay-at-home orders, global lockdowns, and other measures.

Pandemic Endgame
On Monday, the 73rd World Health Assembly convenes virtually for two days. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with a WHO spokesperson about how long we can expect to live with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Shared Bikes a Popular Option in Wuhan Following Lockdown
Shared bike companies in China report that many residents in Wuhan have been relying on bikes for transportation in the immediate aftermath of a 76-day lockdown.

Suppression or Mitigation? The Language of Coronavirus Containment
A report from Imperial College London, viewed as the "gold standard" by British leaders, was instrumental in compelling the U.S. and the U.K. to enact stronger policies to contain COVID-19. But was it too late?
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