China

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.

August 27, 2013 - Future Cities

Authorities have ordered an acupuncture clinic owner and former government advisor to demolish the bizarre addition he's built on top of his 26th-story penthouse apartment. If the description sounds weird, just wait until you see the pictures.

August 16, 2013 - South China Morning Post

For years, Beijing's historic homes have been threatened by redevelopment pressures. Now, the building of illegal additions by homeowners looking for affordable ways to expand are causing alarm. For the local government, the solution is demolition.

July 31, 2013 - The New York Times

Buzzfeed has posted a stunning video clip of the mad scramble to exit and board a train along Beijing's subway line #13 during the morning commute at Xierqi station. Calling it "rush hour" simply doesn't do this justice.

July 26, 2013 - BuzzFeed

In a wide-ranging interview with Metropolis Magazine, CNU founding member Peter Calthorpe opines on China's planning process, the future of America's suburbs, CA high-speed rail, and why he would retire the term 'transit oriented development'.

July 24, 2013 - Metropolis POV Blog

An NAS study released July 08 shows that if you live in north of the Huai River in China, you can expect to live about 5.5 years less than those to the south. Air pollution, specifically particulate matter from burning coal, is the primary culprit.

July 18, 2013 - Guardian

At 76 miles, the tunnel China may soon start constructing beneath the Bohai Sea to connect the port cities of Dalian and Yantai would be longer than the world’s two longest underwater tunnels combined and cost $42.4 billion to complete.

July 15, 2013 - Quartz

At nearly three times the size of the Pentagon, Chengdu's New Century Global Center has staked a claim to the title of world's largest building. How do you keep 420 acres of floor space lit? Build an artificial sun, of course.

July 8, 2013 - CNET

Larung Gar is a remote settlement located at 12,500ft in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Check out the incredible images of the row upon row of small boxes that house the 40,000 residents of one of the world's largest Buddhist institutes.

July 5, 2013 - Daily Mail

Mark Landler reviews the recent efforts of the Obama administration to make headway on climate change through executive order, diplomacy and economic incentive.

July 4, 2013 - The New York Times

While it may not have the world's highest absolute property values, Beijing has the highest imbalance between housing prices and incomes. Gwynn Guilford examines why this is problematic for the country's economic and social wellbeing.

July 2, 2013 - Quartz

With of support of leaders in Beijing, Chinese investors are making their presence known in U.S. commercial and residential real estate markets. The levels of foreign investment are reminiscent of the Japanese buying binge of the 1980s.

June 28, 2013 - The New York Times

Ian Johnson explores a pivotal moment in China's development, as the country seeks to migrate 250 million rural residents to cities in the next 12 years. Observers speculate on how a comprehensive urbanization plan will achieve this transition.

June 17, 2013 - The New York Times

Shanghai and the Pudong District in particular have seen unprecedented development over the past 25 years. The soil the city is built upon, however, has begun to subside recently.

June 7, 2013 - Global Site Plans - The Grid

The migrants that have swelled China's cities in recent decades still remain 'second-class citizens', unable to sell their rural land or have access to public services like schools or medical care. Will the country's new leaders change this?

June 2, 2013 - The Economist

The Chinese government has been employing a bottom-up approach to sustainability through pilot programs in individual cities, boosting investment in clean energy by 20 percent since last year.

May 12, 2013 - GreenBiz

The United States' municipal recycling programs rely on China's voracious appetite for plastic trash. But the country's new ban on the import of certain types of solid waste may cause your city a giant, stinky headache.

May 10, 2013 - Quartz

Though China's cities have been growing exponentially, some argue it isn't urbanizing fast enough. Fearing Latin American-style slums, leaders have restricted migration. They're now being urged to ease controls to maximize agglomeration effects.

May 9, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

Architect Mark Sofield explores the essential meaning of craft in architecture, which he says lies in the nature of the connections a building or space creates.

April 30, 2013 - Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built + Natural Environments

If plans by Chinese officials are followed, 38 cities across the country will have subway lines by the end of the decade. The Economist asks if that might be 20 too many, as shiny subways steer investment from other forms of transit.

April 28, 2013 - The Economist