Three Chinese companies are building a 31-mile highway to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. It's a move locals see as an effort to gain favor with the Kenyan government.
Chinese companies are hoping this will help enable them to get into the Kenyan market.
"Peter Ngau, who teaches urban planning at the University of Nairobi, says East Africa has never seen anything like it.
"There's no comparison," he says. "It's a showpiece of the government."
Ngau says the highway will increase business and help expand the Kenyan economy. The road will help link Kenya to Ethiopia, a major regional economy with about 80 million people. Apartment buildings are already sprouting along the sides of the highway.
It's also expected to ease some of Nairobi's crippling traffic. It takes Ngau two hours to drive down the road to class each morning. When the highway is finished, he expects it will take him less than 40 minutes to get to work."
FULL STORY: Will Kenyan Superhighway Also Benefit China?
Study: Cost of Expanding Roads Outweighs Benefits
New research shows that the economic benefits of roadbuilding projects don’t come close to exceeding most projects’ costs.
Fixing the ‘Legacy’ Highways That Don’t Work for Anyone
A classic example of the notorious ‘stroad,’ aging state roads that aim to serve all users with piecemeal infrastructure solutions fail to facilitate safe, efficient transportation.
Reconnecting Communities Grant Round Offers $600M for Highway Mitigation Projects
The program is part of the 2021 infrastructure law and calls for improving access in communities disadvantaged by freeways.
How Would Project 2025 Affect America’s Transportation System?
Long story short, it would — and not in a good way.
California Law Ends Road Widening Mandates
Housing developers will no longer be required to dedicate land to roadway widening, which could significantly reduce the cost of construction and support more housing units.
But... Europe
European cities and nations tend to have less violent crime than the United States. Is government social welfare spending the magic bullet that explains this difference?
Western Conservationists, Tribes File Legal Motion to Defend Public Lands Rule
Some states and industry groups have sued to stop the Bureau of Land Management from enforcing the new rule, which promotes the conservation and restoration of public lands and shifts focus away from extractive uses.
Intense October Heat Wave Raises Fire Risk in California
Unusually high temperatures across the state are prompting power shutoffs and could fuel more destructive wildfires.
‘Climate Havens’ Not Safe From Hurricane Helene’s Destruction
Parts of North Carolina previously considered immune to the impact of hurricanes experienced historic flooding in the aftermath of the storm.
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.
Placer County
Mayors' Institute on City Design
City of Sunnyvale
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), the Department of City and Regional Planning (CRP)
Knoxville-Knox County Planning
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
City of Portland, ME
Baton Rouge Area Foundation