With the unfettered ability to zone, plan and fund construction projects, the government of Shanghai is turning the city into what looks like "one immense architectural competition."
"Anyone accustomed to the mixture of incremental improvement but generalized decay of Canadian cities, or the pleasing but rather stagnant cities of Europe, will be blown away by Shanghai.
There's so much money that has rushed into, and through, the city that is transforming itself daily. Sure, there is a worldwide economic slowdown, and critics apparently delight in underscoring how it has hit China. Some hit: a growth rate of 'only' 8 per cent.
The government in Shanghai has powers to rezone land, displace people and pursue projects quickly that don't exist in more democratic societies. In Shanghai, they just go ahead and build the astonishing magnetic train line that takes eight minutes to whisk people to the international airport.
Need rapid transit? Build two sensational, clean subway lines charging passengers about 60 cents, and plan a bunch more. Need a link to the domestic airport? Start building another magnetic train. It's what you can do with money, ambition and power. Plan not for tomorrow, but for a decade from now and beyond."
FULL STORY: From stagnation to swaggering skyscrapers, Shanghai is making up for lost time
Coronavirus Effects on the Global Transportation System
As the coronavirus continues to move across the globe, its effects on shared transportation modes and freight shipping are becoming more apparent.
Buildings Full of Empty Apartments Pose Problems in China
Failed investments and buildings with no tenants sit on the outskirts of Beijing and Shanghai.
Friday Eye Candy: 195 Gigapixels of Urban Glory
An incredibly detailed bird's eye view of Shanghai.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions