Latest news with #urbanPlanning
The Sun
15 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
Inside world's craziest city where you never know which floor you're on, trains run through houses & maps are useless
THE WORLD'S most unique city leaves visitors never knowing which floor they're on, and has trains running through buildings. Chongqing, in China, is described as a "planning and engineering aberration", thanks to the fact that the ground floor of one building, could be the 20th floor of another. 7 7 7 'In Chongqing, the ground floor could be on the 1st, 5th, or 10th floor, depending on which side you enter from' one local said. The city, which has been described as a "planning laboratory", has been built this way because it is situated amongst steep hills, cliffs and river valleys, where the ground height can suddenly change by hundreds of metres. Because of this, buildings in Chongqing, which is roughly the size of Austria, often have entrances on several different stories, depending on what level roads have been built on. Unlike a regular city, where things are built horizontally, roads, transport networks, and pedestrian walkways are all built on top of each other, a bit like a lasagne. Skyscrapers are often connected to each other using bridges and even rooftop parks, with schools and cultural centres built on upper levels of the city. Attempting to explain the complexities of the city, which is home to 32 million people, Hugh (@hughchongqing), a resident who offers tours of the city took to Tiktok to give viewers a virtual tour. "In Chongqing, we never know which floor we're on", he said in a video that has racked up over 27 million views. Starting off in one of the city's squares, Hugh explained that although it looks like just a 'normal square' on ground level, if you walk across the square you end up on a bridge 22 floors up. However, if you use the lift located on the square, it says you are on the 12th floor. Hugh took the lift down to the eighth floor, and ended up back on ground level. The tour guide then entered the building next door, where a sign on the lift told him he was on the 13th floor. He exited the building from the 13th floor, went in to the building next to it, crossed over a bridge which was suspended high in the air, and then, on the other side of the bridge, ended up back at street level. Hugh then went in to the next building along, took the lift to the fourth floor, and ended up back on street level again. The tour guide then showed footage of a train running straight through a building, suspended high in the air. Finally, he went into another building, took the floor to the 22nd floor, and ended up back on the square again. Hugh's video has likely left many people open-mouthed, as it has racked up over 3.2 million likes, and over 20 thousand comments. TikTokers raced to the video's comments section, to share their disbelief at the remarkable city. One person said: "How is this possible?" A second person said: "How does navigation work there?" A third added: "Imagine how hard it is to go by Google maps there!" 7 7 7
CBC
2 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Saint John to fix up 'accessibility nightmare' at intersection
Social Sharing A two-decade push to make a major Saint John intersection more accessible to people with disabilities will be seeing results in the coming months, city hall says. Work this summer at McAllister Drive and Westmorland Road will include upgrades such as audible pedestrian traffic signals and ramps onto sidewalks and island. The four-way intersection — near McAllister Place mall and other large and small commercial businesses — has crosswalks that require getting across pedestrian islands. But the islands from three of the intersection's four corners are small and none have ramps, meaning pedestrians and people in wheelchairs, are confronted by a curb as they cross. The islands are also not fully aligned with crosswalk lines. "Some of the crossings actually bypass the islands, which is not to standard," Jill DeMerchant, the city's traffic and municipal engineer said at a recent information session about the intersection. "So we're going to be making that improvement as part of this project." The construction will bring the area larger pedestrian islands that have ramps. The sidewalks will also have tactile walking surfaces, which are textured patches of sidewalk near the street that serve as cues for pedestrians who are blind and using canes. "Currently, there are no audible pedestrian signals for the pedestrian crossings, so we'll be adding those as part of this project as well, which are the countdown timers for the crosswalks," DeMerchant said. Marisa Hersey-Misner, the chair of the city's ability advisory committee, said the changes will make an important difference to people's access to banks, shops, theatre and transit. "People need to get to their doctor's appointments, their shopping, to just have social interaction, all these things," she says. "If you can't have access, then you end up having other issues such as mental health issues. You don't have that ability to get out and walk and get exercise and all those things. So it is very important for us to improve accessibility." Statistics Canada's most recent numbers on disabilities — released in 2022 — show 35 per cent of New Brunswick's population with at least one disability, the second-highest proportion in the country. Over a five-year period, the province also had the largest increase in the country — 8.6 percentage points — in people with disabilities. The roughly $900,000 project, a part of the summer's slew of construction activity in the city, is to start in July and continue until September, according to a staff report. Construction is expected to have a considerable impact on traffic. The east end project will also include work on the storm-sewer infrastructure. Hersey-Misner said the intersection is one of the most dangerous in the city, calling it an "accessibility nightmare" for those with mobility disabilities. "The ability advisory committee has had this particular intersection on our priority list since 2005," Hersey-Misner said. The city has been resistant, she said, because of the traffic volume, the size of the intersection and the steep cost of upgrading it. Being legally blind since birth, Hersey-Misner said that after a few bad experiences, she tries to avoid the area. "One of the last times I used this intersection, I didn't have a guide dog. I wasn't using my white cane and the sun was glaring right in my eyes, and I couldn't see anything, and I was really afraid to even cross the street," she said. "I was trying to get to McAllister Place to catch a bus. So I basically had to stand at the intersection, listen to all the traffic and how the traffic flow was going. I did probably three or four rotations of the light before even trying to venture out." Hersey-Misner also said the time the signals allow pedestrians to cross is often too short, even for pedestrians without disabilities. "So you take somebody with the mobility disability or a senior that walks slower — they're really struggling to get across the intersection." Hersey-Misner said the changes coming to the area are positive, but she wants the city to go further and be a leader in accessibility. Other intersections have similar problems, she said. Her committee is also trying to make parking more accessible in the uptown. DeMerchant said other infrastructure projects in progress, such as one on Main Street into the city's north end, will include accessibility improvements where needed.
CBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CBC
How new provincial development rules could reshape Ottawa's rural landscape
Last October, the Ontario government announced new rules around how developers could submit applications. Since then, the city has received requests to expand suburbs by hundreds of hectares in at least five areas.
CTV News
26-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Redesign of Gainsborough Road could see bike lane relocated
The location of a new bike lane in northwest London might be shifted from the road to the adjacent boulevard. On Monday, the Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee (ICSC) was told by Councillor Corrine Rahman that the rehabilitation of Gainsborough Road near Hyde Park Road must consider all users in the fast-growing part of the city. 'We've got to balance the parking needs, the need for the road to be rehabilitated, and the need for it to be accessible to all users,' Rahman told the committee. Currently, the busy stretch of road would be reconstructed to include a single eastbound lane, a dedicated left turn lane at Hyde Park Road and new bike lanes on both sides of the road. Rahman pressed for public consultation about the final design. She suggested that consideration be given to shifting at least one of the bike lanes onto the boulevard— thereby separating riders from drivers and reducing the capacity constraints for vehicles on the roadway. 'My preference would be boulevard bike lanes,' Rahman told CTV News after the meeting. 'The reason for that is it's a safer option for folks that are looking to ride in this area.' City staff confirmed that bike lanes along that stretch of road were recently approved in the Mobility Master Plan. Relocating the bike lane onto the shoulder might have impacts on the project's budget and timeline. 'I do understand that it's not typically what we would do in a (road) rehabilitation like this because we'd need to move hydro poles and things like that,' Rahman said. 052625 - Render of Gainsborough An artist rendering of Gainsborough at Hyde Park Road. (Source: City of London) Members of ICSC supported Rahman's motion to consult with the public and prepare drawings of an alternative design. 'I do think that it's really important that when we're doing a redevelopment in an area that's growing as much as the northwest part of the city, we have to look at getting this right,' Rahman said. Council makes a final decision about Rahman's motion on June 3.
The National
13-05-2025
- Science
- The National
UAE trains new generation of satellite data experts through National Space Academy
The UAE has begun training its latest cohort of Emiratis to equip them with the skills to use satellite data when finding practical solutions for issues such as environmental protection, national security and urban planning. The Space Applications-Earth Observation programme, part of the National Space Academy run by the UAE Space Agency, is offering a 10-week course. The new cohort, comprising employees from both public and private sectors, held its first class on Tuesday. 'This is a hands-on programme that gives people something they can actually apply in their jobs,' academy manager Naser Al Rashedi told The National. 'Each of them will have developed a project based on a real-world problem from their field by the end of the programme.' Last year's graduates, for example, worked on projects such as assessing the health of mangroves using satellite data, insights that were later shared with environmental agencies. Mr Al Rashedi said building a national workforce skilled in satellite data analytics will help support the UAE's strategic goals, from monitoring climate change and preserving natural resources to strengthening food security and planning smarter cities. The UAE's space programme has grown rapidly in recent years, with a strong focus on developing domestic expertise and technological capabilities. The country launched its first UAE-built satellite, KhalifaSat, in 2018, and launched the MBZ-Sat, the region's most advanced Earth observation satellite, this year. Earth observation, a $7 billion market, uses satellite imagery and data to monitor the planet. It supports a range of applications, from tracking deforestation and pollution to detecting water leaks in urban areas and mapping agricultural trends. The academy was launched in 2023 in partnership with Bayanat, a provider of geospatial data solutions that is now part of Space42, a newly formed AI-powered space tech company. The academy offers two tracks, including one focused on satellite engineering and another on satellite data applications, such as the current Earth observation programme. This year's Earth observation programme includes 28 participants, up from 18 in its first year. The course blends lectures with project-based learning, in which participants work on challenges from their organisations. Using geospatial data in everyday jobs can help organisations make smarter, data-driven decisions, from tracking environmental changes to improving infrastructure planning and emergency response, said Dr Prashanth Marpu, chief technology officer for smart solutions at Space42's Bayanat division. 'You have to train people on using these technologies, and then also guide them in ways they can use that data in the real world and at their jobs,' Dr Marpu said. The programme also feeds into Space42's development of a Geo-Informatics and Analytics (GIQ) platform, a digital marketplace where organisations can access and use Earth observation data. The goal is to foster a system that relies on space-based insights for national development. Mohamed Amery, an AI engineer with Halcon – part of Edge Group's missiles and weapons cluster – is taking part in this year's course. He said it could help in his ability to process aerial and satellite imagery for defence applications. 'I come from a military domain, so we usually try to implement AI smart systems that can be part of surveillance,' he said. 'The programme gives a new perspective on how satellite data and AI can work together.'
