A jury composed of ULI full members has selected the winners of the 2019 ULI Asia Pacific Awards for Excellence, recognising and celebrating a diverse group of projects that showcase best land use practice from across the region. See who the winners are.

Reflections on a storied, globe-spanning career—and thoughts on today’s Hong Kong. Read more.

Alibaba’s ambitious City Brain project in Hangzhou—the city where the Chinese tech giant is headquartered—is already using big data, sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce congestion in the growing city, said a speaker at the ULI Asia Pacific Summit 2019 in Shanghai. It is now being implemented in other cities in Asia and could be used to drive development decisions for city government in the future. Wang Jian, chairman of Alibaba Group’s technology committee, gave an overview of how the system is working in a keynote address. Read more.

The cover package for 2019 Asia Pacific special issue is titled “Finding Balance: The quest for smart buildings, smart tourism, and smart climate strategies.” Other topics include “South Korea: Heritage at Jeonju Hanok Village,” “ China: Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland Hotel,” “Thailand: Dealing with Bangkok’s Climate Challenge,” and “Interview: Chairman Nicholas Brooke.” View this issue.

Though the postcard photos of Shanghai’s gleaming Pudong district are familiar, fewer people are aware of the large numbers of heritage properties the city is conserving and regenerating. Panelists at the 2019 ULI Asia Pacific Summit in Shanghai discussed several innovative approaches to regeneration of Shanghai buildings and neighbourhoods. Read more.

The CallisonRTKL planning and urban design team with Arcadis socioeconomic, water, environmental, and infrastructure teams developed a strategic urban waterfront assessment of the Red River in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. The team was asked by the City of Hanoi to assess two existing options for flood protection and urban redevelopment of the Red River, along with the creation of another new, more sustainable option, and to evaluate these options in terms of overall contribution to the city. Read more.