Japan
Roadblocks Along the Road to Recovery in Japan
Christopher Hawthorne reports from Japan on the many obstacles preventing areas destroyed by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami from proceeding with rebuilding, as the recovery effort stalls in the cleanup stage.
Destruction and Renewal in Japan
A series of stunning photo comparisons in The Washington Post and The New York Times document the magnitude of destruction unleashed by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and the steps achieved to date towards recovery.
Sustainability To Be a Centerpiece of Japan's Rebuilding Effort
Having just returned from a United Nations-led tour of disaster-ravaged areas of Japan, Warren Karlenzig reports on efforts across the region to rebuild along smart growth and green economic development models.
The Growing Popularity of Women-Only Mass Transit
Over the past 100 years, women-only train cars have come and gone in Japan. Daniel Krieger reports on why these subway cars have endured amongst women’s concerns for safety.
Exhibit Seeks to Understand Japan's 'Metabolism' Architecture
The new exhibit at Toyko's Mori Art Museum will be the first architecture showcase since the 2011 earthquake, and displays a movement central to the country's history of building and rebuilding.
For a Japanese Island, Reconstruction Kills Revival
Since the Japanese government spent $300 billion rebuilding Okushiri after a 1993 tsunami, things have taken a grim, ironic turn: with high-paying construction jobs leaving, so are young people who no longer wish to be part of a fishing economy.
Mag-Lev Project Meets Approval in Japan
Japanese officials recently approved plans to build a 320-mile magnetic levitation train system. The $114 billion project is expected to begin construction in 2014.
Tokyo to Include Tsunami-Hit Areas in 2020 Olympic Bid
In preparing a bid to host the 2020 Olympics, Tokyo is planning to include areas that were ravaged by the recent tsunami and earthquake.
Japan Moves Forward With Maglev Train
Tsunami, earthquakes, and nuclear radiation in the past, Japan proceeds to build a magnetic train that defies Newton's laws of physics.
Prepared for Disaster, But not to Respond
Japan is typically associated with strong disaster preparedness plans, but the devastation following the March tsunami highlights some of the nation's shortcomings in adapting and reacting, according to this piece from Citiwire.
Destroyed by Tsunami, Small Village Considers Move
A small community in tsunami-ravaged Japan considers a plan to move the entire village farther above sea level.
Rebuilding Tsunami-Wrecked Japan As Smart Towns
Panasonic and a group of companies are planning on building a new demonstration "smart town" in Kanagawa Prefecture on a site the tsunami destroyed.
Maglev Approved for Tokyo-Osaka Line
After decades in development, Japan is ready to begin construction on their first commercial maglev train, which will eventually run between Tokyo and Osaka at speeds of up to 313 miles per hour.
A Sea of Humanity
A look at the pedestrian scramble in the Shibuya District of Tokyo, Japan.
Photographing the Exclusion Zone in Nuclear Japan
This video from VBS follows photographer Donald Weber into the exclusion zone around the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, where he documents the aftermath of the evacuation.
In Post-Quake Japan, Bicycle Use on the Rise
Bicycle use is on the rise in Japan, where recovery from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami has made driving and transit use much more difficult.
The Transcendent Urbanism of Japan
Architect Vishaan Chakrabarti writes that Japan's urbanism should serve as a model to the rest of the world for its density and the "urbane society" it creates.
Inside the Nuclear Ghost Towns of Japan
This piece fromDer Spiegel takes you inside the abandoned cities of Japan that were forced to clear out amid threats of nuclear meltdown.
Bright City Goes Dim
Facing energy shortages, the city of Tokyo, Japan, has been forced to cut down its energy usage, which is changing the bustling and brightly lit city's character.
Design Solutions for Japan's Recovery
In the coming days and years, Japan needs to address a host of issues related to earthquake recover and design, including damaged infrastructure, population and housing, energy, the economy and global impact.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
