As Asian economic prowess powers the continent's businesses toward prosperity, governments need to find a way to accommodate the 2 billion extra people that will inhabit its major cities by the middle of the century.
Already "the physical manifestations of the dash for gross domestic product are obvious over much of the continent. In Mumbai, shanty towns breed resentment among street dwellers starving next to the luxury apartment blocks of the rich. In Hong Kong and Shenzhen, air pollution clogs the lungs of billionaires and their immigrant maids alike. In Kuala Lumpur, cars belch fumes in barely moving traffic jams because no government has yet built a metro system."
Some governments are beginning to take notice of the need to plan for a future beyond economic realm that is equally sustainable. "What is really needed, though, is a new approach to growth. Noeleen Heyzer, head of the UN's economic and social commission for Asia and the Pacific, says the impact of trying to maintain the existing growth pattern over the next 15 years would be environmentally and socially devastating. Governments in Asia, she says, "simply do not have the luxury of growing first and cleaning up later."
FULL STORY: The Asian Century Calls For A Rethink On Growth
Asian, Australian Property Markets Begin to Cool
Markets for residential property income of East Asia's most expensive cities are slowing down. The U.S.-China trade war is one factor, along with local controls and a mainland Chinese economy applying the brakes.
China Submerged: Mapping Nightmare Sea Levels
Cartographer Jeffrey Linn has compiled maps of how coastal China would look under risen seas. Over 40 percent of the country's population lives in potentially affected regions.
Researchers Pushing for Even Bigger Chinese Cities
Research suggests China’s current urbanization policy forgoes $2 trillion in growth over the next ten years. That is, unless the government funnels even more migrants into major population centers and develops for density.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.
Seattle’s Pike Place Market Leans Into Pedestrian Infrastructure
After decades of debate, the market is testing a car ban in one of its busiest areas and adding walking links to the surrounding neighborhood.
The World’s Longest Light Rail Line is in… Los Angeles?
In a city not known for its public transit, the 48.5-mile A Line is the longest of its kind on the planet.
Quantifying Social Infrastructure
New developments have clear rules for ensuring surrounding roads, water, and sewers can handle new users. Why not do the same for community amenities?
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions