Category Archives: Urban

Like Japan’s other coastal urban areas, the Tokyo region is crossed by several large rivers, among which the most important are the Ara (Arakawa 荒川), the Edo (Edogawa 江戸川), and the Tone (Tonegawa 利根川) east of the city and the … Continue reading →

Anyone who likes cities to be lively and full of people at all hours would appreciate cities in Japan.1 There are large numbers of pedestrians and cyclists not only in the central business districts but also in many of the … Continue reading →

In the 1980s I wrote a paper on the then-mostly-new recreational trails that had come into being in many North American cities. In most places, these trails were quite fragmentary. They were built where it was easy to build them, … Continue reading →

Many—and probably most—French cities have engaged in large-scale urban renewal projects over the last thirty years or so.1 Obsolete industrial and port facilities have been replaced by offices and housing. Research centers, museums, and concert halls have been squeezed into … Continue reading →

I spent a week in Buenos Aires last month. This was my fourth (and longest) trip to the city. I had been there previously in 1986, 2002, and 2015. In the course of my recent trip, I tried to learn … Continue reading →

I spent a few days in Abu Dhabi in early March. I had been there once before, but only for a couple of hours on a very hot day in 2010. This was my first extended stay in the city. … Continue reading →

I wrote about Singapore’s “park connectors” in an earlier post. Park connectors are paths for pedestrians and cyclists that now provide access to much of Singapore. They have been built quite self-consciously to promote Singapore’s goal of becoming a “car-lite” … Continue reading →

Dubai is known as a very car-oriented place.1 Exhibit number one is Sheikh Zayed Road, a 16-to-24-lane limited-access highway that extends through nearly the whole length of Dubai’s post-1990s neighborhoods including those containing most of the city’s famous skyscrapers. Pedestrian … Continue reading →