China
Chinese Government "Cancels" the City of Chaohu
With no advance warning, residents of the large city of Chaohu were told on August 22nd that their city no longer existed. The city's land and people are now divided into 3 and incorporated into other nearby cities.
Farmland Sale Sparks Protests in China
Since Wednesday, Chinese farmers have been protesting the sale of over 800 acres of farmland to developers. The scene, writes Andrew Jacobs, is not entirely uncommon lately as concerns over environmental justice build.
Faking It: Imitations of Cities Around the Globe
For better or worse, cities mimic each other, making replicas of great landmarks down to unique light fixtures. The Infrastructurist selects top 5 cities that do the job well. Not surprisingly, Shanghai earns the title as the hallmark of knock-offs.
Melbourne Ranked as Most Livable City
With high scores in five broad categories, Melbourne, Australia received the highest spot in livability rankings from The Economist's research unit.
China Cracking Down on Rural Migrants
As millions of rural poor move into Chinese cities, the country's legal residency system is making life difficult for the illegal rural migrants.
Public Showers Improve Health
The village of Shamen, China lacks running water, and scarcity has created a lack of awareness of water health issues. A complex new bathhouse aims to curb health problems and create a gathering place in the process.
The One-Billion Milestone for Cars
The total number of cars around the world exceeded the billion-unit mark in 2010, according to a study by Wards Auto. This figure has essentially doubled since 1986 when the 500-million-unit mark was crossed.
Livability Grows in China's Emerging Megacities
A new breed of developers in China are increasingly trying to make the country's new cities into pleasant, walkable and even environmentally sustainable.
Multi-Million Dollar Student Housing in Manhattan
It is not uncommon for wealthy Chinese to spend seven figures - in cash - on real estate "as housing for children studying in New York."
Making Money in Public Transit
Public transit is expensive, and most transit agencies don't make money. But Hong Kong's MTR is different.
Chinese Megaproject Goes From Urban to Rural
New York architects Tsao & McKown are developing a handful of communities in Chengdu that range from dense urban living to agrarian lifestyles.
Real Estate Bliss in Singapore
Like the Hamptons for affluent New Yorkers, Singapore emerges as the go-to real estate hot spot - replacing Hong Kong - for wealthy Chinese. "It confers class status in China to say that you own a flat in Singapore," asserts Mohamed Ismail.
New Building Material Captures Heat, Releases on Demand
Researchers in China have reportedly created an insulation material that can "retain and release heat according to specific temperature requirements."
Landscape Impacts Spur Major Repairs to Three Gorges Dam
After years of denial, the Chinese government has admitted that its massive Three Gorges Dam project is destabilizing the land around the reservoir.
China's Road Safety Epidemic Attributed To Unskilled Drivers
With one third the number of cars on the road as U.S., China has at least twice the fatality rate. Most vehicles are designed in the West, and driven a similar amount. Road conditions as well as driver and pedestrian error are blamed for crashes.
Property Loans Dry Up in Chinese Cities
Banks in China have stopped accepting loan applications for property in the country's second- and third-tier cities in an effort to curb inflation.
How the Other Half Lives in Hong Kong
For a city of over 16,000 people per square mile, less than 7% of Hong Kong's land is designated for residential use. Subdivided apartments - aka "coffin units" - totaling 150 square feet aren't uncommon, reports The Wall Street Journal.
High Speed Rail Crash In China Leaves 43 Dead
Two bullet trains collided in China killing 43, injuring 211, on Saturday evening, July 23 in Wenzhou city, after one train stalled on a viaduct, causing four cars of the moving train to fall up to 100 ft. to the ground below. Video attached.
Drunk Driving Crackdown In Beijing
Traffic safety is an emerging issue in China, and officials are treating drunk driving, the cause of more than 50% of traffic fatalities, severely - so much so that a new business is flourishing: chauffeur service.
NY MTA Chief Resigns, Takes Job In Hong Kong
The head of the New York MTA, Jay Walder, is leaving to take charge of a private transportation company in Hong Kong.
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.
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Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
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University of Cincinnati Online
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