Bringing together all the pieces
A new book provides insights into understanding urbanization in Asia, and it offers important lessons for the rest of the world writes Philipp Ivanov, chief executive, Asia Society Australia
At first glance, Jigsaw City may look like a simple compendium of urban development project case studies in the Asian region stretching from 1974 to the current day. Delve into it and you realize that its reach and ambitions spread much further than that — as does its subject matter.
In Jigsaw City, the authors, Claire Jacobson, head of publications at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum, and Daniel Elsea, former creative director of AECOM’s Building + Places group, provide an in-depth exploration of the impressive scale and evolution of urbanization in Asia, home to more than half of the world’s population and leading the way in smart transportation and connected cities.
Readers will find a book that richly reveals the broader considerations facing governments and developers, and necessitating a multi-disciplinary approach as they envision city-shaping construction projects. It is a comprehensive resource for anyone wanting to understand Asia’s urbanization — and a thought-provoking resource for anyone wanting to participate in a transformative way.
Jigsaw City deconstructs the diverse yet interdependent elements and strategies that go into the making of a successful 21st century city in Asia.
Through the prism of AECOM’s work in planning, designing and building cities throughout the region, readers glimpse some of the dynamics that go into the making of a number of Asia’s 21st century cities — spanning China and Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and India. You are taken on a journey through an evolved focus in the fairly short time span between the first case study, Sha Tin, Hong Kong in the1970s, and the final and newest one in the book, the Delhi to Mumbai Industrial Corridor, which is still very much in progress. What becomes clear is that it is no longer possible to look at commercial returns without also looking at environmental, cultural and policy considerations, such as talent attraction and retention (see the case study on Ningbo); mitigating the negative impact to the environment of industrialization and urbanization (see Jining); cultivating and maintaining a city’s competitive edge as well as quality of life (see Kuala Lumpur, Metro Manila and Singapore); and regenerating unique parts of a city’s history to make them valuable economic contributors as well as giving a sense of place (see Hong Kong and Tokyo).
I was particularly drawn to Jigsaw City given Asia Society’s longstanding advocacy of urban sustainability and partnerships with governments, educators and industry, including AECOM, through our Pacific Cities Sustainability Initiative. The book highlights the common challenges of Asian cities in the 21st century but does not set out to provide ready-made solutions. The whole point — as the title suggests — is that every city is different and highly complex, and needs to be treated with an open, inquiring, innovative and collaborative mindset by the wide spectrum of stakeholders who impact the myriad of different but connected elements that make or break a city and its contribution to the national economy and society.