Cities across Southeast Asia use Singapore as a measuring stick for development progress. “The next Singapore” is a phrase that is often used in this context. These cities try to emulate Singapore by building luxury apartments and landmark towers to attract high net-wealth individuals and family offices. Instead of looking up at skyscrapers, cities should […]
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Myths and realities of the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link
Why there won’t be a high-speed railway from Singapore to China, and how Thailand and Malaysia have set back a truly unified system by years. The Singapore-Kunming Rail Link (SKRL) is a planned network of railways to create a unified line from Kunming to Singapore. This is part of the Pan-Asian Railway, which envisions three […]
Bad Urban Design: Center Point of Indonesia, a missed opportunity to put Makassar on the map
Center Point of Indonesia is a megaproject being built off the coast of Makassar. City planners had an opportunity to make an iconic global city. Instead, they have opted for suburbia in the sea. They are making the same urban planning mistakes that are being made in every other Indonesian city. This is a review […]
Funan Techo Canal: waterway and canal system connecting Phnom Penh to Kampot
The Funan Techo Canal is an under-construction waterway that will connect Phnom Penh to Kampot via the Bassac River. The canal will enable goods to be shipped to and from the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port without having to go through Vietnam. The project was formerly known as the Bassac River Navigation and Logistics System (“BRNLS”), […]
Long Thanh International Airport: the future second airport of Ho Chi Minh City
Long Thanh International Airport is the under-construction second airport of Ho Chi Minh City. Situated approximately 40 km east of the city centre in Dong Nai Province, the airport will have enough space to eventually include 4 runways and serve over 100 million passengers annually. Such an ambitious size would put it up there with […]
Center Point of Indonesia in Makassar: waterfront development on reclaimed land
Center Point of Indonesia (CPI) is a waterfront development in Makassar, Indonesia. This new urban area is being built on artificial islands in the shape of a Garuda bird (the national emblem of Indonesia). CPI is opposite the old city waterfront area of Losari Beach. The CPI land reclamation project is the largest waterfront development […]
Bali Light Rail Transit (LRT): the proposed subway system of Bali
The Bali Light Rail Transit (LRT), also referred to as the Bali Urban Subway, is a proposed underground transit system connecting Ngurah Rai International Airport to locations in South Bali and Ubud. The Bali subway will be built in 4 phases: Phase 1: Airport-Sentral Parkir Kuta-Seminyak-Berawa-Cemagi (16 km) Phase 2: Airport-Jimbaran-Unud-Nusa Dua (13.5 km) Phase […]
Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC): New tech city in Johor, Malaysia
Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC) is a 7,290-acre township in Sedenak, Johor, Malaysia. IBTEC is planned as a major circular city within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). Sedenak was designated as the sixth flagship zone of Iskandar Malaysia (Zone F) in 2021. Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC) map Sedenak mukim (an administrative division of a district) is in […]
Indonesia railways report: 2024 edition
On my 2024 trip to Indonesia I had the distinction of riding the railways of Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi. These are the only islands in Indonesia with passenger railways, so it was good to see how the railways compare between the islands. This report is an overview of Indonesia’s railways as of 2024. Sumatra The […]
Nusantara Autonomous Rail Transit (ART)
The Nusantara Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) is a transit system under trial in Nusantara, the new capital city of Indonesia. The ART is best described as a trackless tram. The tram does not require rails or a purpose-built track like on a people-mover system. This trackless tram operates on the road like a bus. The […]
