Tokyo
Expanding the Concept of Transit-Oriented Development: Lessons from Abroad
Keeping transit planning and development siloed can limit opportunities to build affordable housing and vibrant neighborhoods.
A New Tallest Skyscraper for Japan
The Toranomon-Azabudai reaches 330 meters into the sky, far lower than international standards but taller by 30 meters than the previous tallest building in Japan.
Tokyo Expressway to Become a Linear Park
A major expressway in Ginza will be converted to a park similar to New York City's High Line.
A Different Kind of Density: Lessons From Asian Megacities
As the pandemic has made clear, a healthy, prosperous future will depend on the development of the kinds of density that encourage strong social infrastructure.
A Houston Columnist Celebrates Japan's Transit Infrastructure
The paper of record in a Texas oil town is a surprising place to find an article singing the praises of a society built on public transit instead of the automobile.
Sunday Fun: Take a Google Earth Flyover Tour of Tokyo's Yamanote Line
A key ring route in Tokyo's massive collection of rail lines, the JR Yamanote Line is a public transit aficionado's wildest dream. Reece Martin offers a guided tour of the line, available from the comfort of any YouTube-enabled screen.
Japan Targeting 2020 Olympics for a Driverless Car System
Japan prioritizes technological advancement to grow its economy.
Future Floods May Test Tokyo's Defenses
Despite the presence of a formidable (and expensive) underground flood control system, Tokyo may confront floods and rainfall that will challenge the city's capacity to protect itself.
Ranking the Safest Cities in the World—Tokyo Leads the List
The Economist's Intelligence Unit has released its 2017 Safe Cities Index.
A National Day of Telecommuting
Companies and workers in the country of Japan are less likely to work from home than in the United States. The government hopes to increase the number of telecommuters during the 2020 Olympics, however.
Adventure Playgrounds Set the Children Free
An exploration of how adventure playgrounds enable freedom for children living in a world full of helicopter parents.
Train-sploitation
An interview with a photographer about his unflattering pictures of train riders in Tokyo's crowded subway.
Asian Subways Are the Busiest
Rankings from the International Association of Public Transport have Tokyo on top, followed by Beijing and Shanghai. New York comes in seventh.
Drones and Robots Filling in for Japan's Shortage of Construction Workers
With fewer human workers available to meet demand, Japanese construction company Komatsu is turning to automated equipment and drones.
Another Study Shows That Narrow Is Safer Than Wide for Traffic Lanes
Better Cities & Towns gives its imprimatur to the "narrower is better" approach to lane width for traffic safety thanks to a study by Toronto transportation planner, Dewan Masud Karim, presented at the Canadian ITE annual conference.
A Highly Subjective Ranking of World Cities
Toronto, Tokyo, and Helsinki may have little in common, but they all top Metropolis Magazine's list of the world's most liveable cities, as named by an expert panel of designers and urbanists. Eight runnners-up were named in a variety of categories.
Zaha Hadid's $2 Billion Tokyo Stadium Plans Scrapped
Japan has pulled the plug on an ambitious stadium plan, expected to cost $2 billion and designed by one of the world's most famous architects.
Japan Sets Train Speed Records Twice in a Few Days
Maglev trains owned by Central Japan Railway were clocked traveling at speeds of 603 km/h, less than week after traveling 590 km/h to set a record last set in 2003.
Asian Cities are the World's Safest
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released its Safe Cities Index 2015, finding that Asian cities lead the world in several measures of security.
'Tradition and Stability' Win as Tokyo Selected to Host 2020 Olympics
With the selection of Tokyo over Istanbul and Madrid as the host of the 2020 Summer Olympics, continuing concerns over radioactivity trumped social instability and a deep economic recession as the least dangerous alternative.
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 Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
