A new breed of developers in China are increasingly trying to make the country's new cities into pleasant, walkable and even environmentally sustainable.
Architect and developer team Calvin and Frederick Tsao are trying to integrate elements of livability into new and emerging Chinese megacities.
"The Tsao brothers have teamed up to imbue Chinese cities with some mixed-use pedestrian friendliness. The idea is to retain some of the connections to the existing rural landscape to ease people into city living. Their two Chengdu plans are heavy on parks and plazas to encourage walking and socializing. Encouraging exercise for new urban denizens is probably a good thing-obesity rates in rural China are only 5 percent, but the rate in cities is four times higher."
FULL STORY: Trying to make China’s planned cities livable

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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