Tag - cities

 
 

CITIES

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike (left) and Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an hold talks in Taipei on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Feb 7, 2024
Tokyo governor and Taipei mayor agree on urban governance cooperation
China expressed strong opposition to the Tokyo governor's visit to Taipei.
Tokyo's net population inflow rose for the second consecutive year in 2023, reflecting a recovery in the number of people relocating to the capital after pandemic-related restrictions were eased.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2024
Tokyo's net population inflow rose to 68,000 in 2023
The net population inflow, or the number of people moving into Tokyo minus those moving out, rose for the second consecutive year.
By the end of the decade, nearly 700 cities are likely to have rolled out some version of urban metaverse technologies, including virtual and augmented reality applications, according to ABI Research.
WORLD / Society
Jan 22, 2024
Realities collide as 'augmented cities' emerge around the U.S.
AR can enhance life in cities, particularly for marginalized communities.
A China Railway employee works at the construction site for the Xiongan station of a new railway connecting Beijing to the area in Hebei province, China, in March 2019. In his annual new year speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping trumpeted the city’s progress saying it was "growing fast” and helping to revitalize northeastern China.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jan 10, 2024
Xi Jinping’s empty dream city shows limits of his power, even in China
The meticulously planned metropolis' slow start underscores the flaws in the Chinese president's plan to tempt people from the capital.
Tokyo is considered a 15-minute city, where many residents live within a short walking or cycling distance from the shops and facilities they need.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 5, 2024
Don't let the culture wars sabotage 15-minute cities
In 15-minute cities, amenities can easily be reached on foot. Why are conspiracy theorists attacking the idea and what nuance is missing from the debate?
A look into what used to be the Koyamacho neighborhood in Tokyo's Minato Ward may reveal what Japan stands to lose from not protecting its recent past.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Dec 25, 2023
Mita facelift paves over another slice of Tokyo history
The death of Koyamacho shows that Japan needs to begin preserving some parts of its modern history for future generations.
French police evict migrants from a squat in a disused industrial building not far from the Paris 2024 Olympic Village in Ile-Saint-Denis, near Paris, in April.
WORLD / Society
Dec 25, 2023
Asylum-seekers and Roma evicted from Paris squats ahead of Olympics
Advocates and some officials say the evictions appear to be a policy aimed at beautifying the area for the sporting event.
The newly built city of Nusantara is scheduled to become the capital of Indonesia in 2024 and aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2045.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 11, 2023
Indonesia’s new capital aims to be a net zero model city
Nusantara, Indonesia's future capital, is being built with climate solutions at its core. The city hopes to inspire others to do the same.
A tourist poses for a photograph under signs for karaoke nightclubs in the Mong Kok district of Hong Kong. The government crackdown on neon signs stems from safety and environmental concerns, but the campaign evokes the fading of the city itself.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Dec 11, 2023
Where did all the Hong Kong neon go?
A government crackdown on neon signs stems from safety and environmental concerns, but the campaign evokes the fading of the city itself.
Singapore is again the world's most expensive city to live in, an honor it shares with Zurich this year.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 30, 2023
Singapore and Zurich are the world's most expensive cities
Tokyo fell to 60th place while Osaka dropped to 70th amid a weak Japanese yen.
Tokyo retained third behind London and New York in this year's Global Power City Index (GPCI) report.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 9, 2023
Tokyo remains third in global power index despite downturn
Among other Japan cities, Osaka ranked 37th while Fukuoka placed 42nd in the index.
People walk past ginkgo trees in Tokyo's Meiji Jingu Gaien area in November 2022.
JAPAN / Explainer
Nov 6, 2023
What to know about the Meiji Jingu Gaien redevelopment plan
The project is controversial due to the potential felling of thousands of trees, loss of green space and threat to historic gingko trees.
The midway in Springfield, Massachusetts, lit up at night. Framingham, Massachusetts mayor Charlie Sisitsky said its geothermal pilot project could more than halve emissions and cut energy consumption for some properties by up to 70%.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Nov 2, 2023
U.S. cities expand geothermal energy to whole neighborhoods
The U.S. federal government is to back 11 pilot geothermal projects.
Sections of the forests in Colville, Washington, have already been thinned, allowing trees to grow less densely and reducing the risk for wildfire.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Oct 26, 2023
How to prevent forest fires by building cities with more wood
Not everyone is convinced mass timber will help forest health.
Visual AI allows us to see more than meets the eye when looking at cities like Tokyo.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 22, 2023
AI will show us the future of cities, if we guide the way
Visual AI can help us better see our cities, from crime rates to property values, but only human intelligence can tell the forest from the trees.
Residents watch the McDougall Creek wildfire in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, last month.
WORLD / Society / FOCUS
Sep 9, 2023
Conspiracy theories falsely link wildfires to 'smart cities'
Disinformation about deadly wildfires in the United States and Canada has run rampant across social media.
Kohei Saito, a philosophy professor at the University of Tokyo who appears regularly in Japanese media to discuss his ideas, at home in Tokyo on March 16.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 7, 2023
Can shrinking be good for Japan? A Marxist bestseller makes the case.
Saito has tapped into what he describes as a growing disillusionment in Japan with capitalism’s ability to solve the problems people see around them.
Tourists walk in front of Crown and Anchor pub on Neal Street in London in 2018. Pubs are big part of British culture.
WORLD / Society
Sep 4, 2023
What’s really killing Britain’s historic pubs
With each time-honored spot that’s shuttered, another little piece of British history is lost.
A municipality worker collects garbage, most of which is plastic and domestic waste, along the shore of Jakarta.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Sep 4, 2023
Trash to treasure: Indonesian firm turns plastic into bricks
The company mixes volcanic ash, mountain stones, plastic waste and cement to make its bricks, which do not contain sand like regular ones.
A construction site where many tall apartment buildings have been constructed in recent years, in Parramatta, Sydney
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 1, 2023
Build up, not out: The high density housing push for Australian cities
With the construction industry struggling amid elevated costs and decade-high interest rates, housing affordability has become a thorny political issue.

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A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world