Jigsaw City: Aecom's Redefinition of the Asian New Town

Jigsaw City explores the phenomenon of urbanization in Asia through the lens of AECOM's work in planning, designing and building cities of varying scales. From Hong Kong to Singapore, from mainland China to the Philippines, the projects examined include regional infrastructure corridors, transit-oriented city extensions, downtown redevelopments, new communities, mixed-use open space districts, environmental conservation frameworks and ecological restorations. On display are the efforts of strategic planners, environmental and ecological planners, masterplanners, urban designers, landscape architects, and civil engineers to deliver the places and infrastructure needed by rapidly growing populations and economies. At stake is the quality of life for millions of people, the rise of a new Asian middle class, and the question of whether frenetic growth can be brought into balance with natural systems already strained to the breaking point. The premise of the book and of AECOM's work in the region is that an interdisciplinary city making approach centered around people holds the best hope for tackling challenges of such magnitude. Increasingly relevant in this work is the need to build sustainable cities that could reflect their social heritage, and with which inhabitants can feel proud. Jigsaw City is a collection of case studies chronicling efforts over the past four decades―looking to see what has been accomplished and what can be learned for the future as we continue to create the Asian new towns.