Beijing and Shanghai are epicenters of the "biggest building boom in human history" -- and in their rush to have the newest and shiniest examples of modern architecture, they are erasing their own built heritage.
"Architecture is an expression of one's culture and heritage," says one prominent architectural critic. "Current Chinese architects have just forgotten all that. Their architecture could be anywhere, in any city or country. There's nothing about it that's uniquely Chinese."
Thanks to Michael Dudley
FULL STORY: Instant Modernity

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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
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Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research