1. CHINA:
As the planet warms, booming cities scramble to cut energy use

SHANGHAI -- A fifth of the world's construction cranes were at work here in the mid-1990s, pushing this city's skyline up from the banks of the Huangpu River. High-rises went up fast, but were generally not made to last. Steel was comparatively cheap and electricity consumption was an afterthought. Shanghai and other big Chinese cities are still rising by the block, but construction practices are shifting in the country's emerging market economy. Developers are starting to embrace "green" design standards to meet tougher building codes as well as give their projects an edge in the crowded marketplace. Go to story #1

2. CHINA:
New urbanists go block by block to curb carbon, car congestion

Building self-sufficient "superblocks" may be the most sustainable solution to China's urban congestion and pollution problems, say the brains behind a development in the port city of Qingdao. Go to story #2