The ambitious development plan promises great rewards, but faces multiple challenges in integrating diverse communities.

The cover package for the 2019 Asia Pacific special issue is titled “Finding Balance: The quest for smart buildings, smart tourism, and smart climate strategies.” Other topics include “South Korea: Heritage at Jeonju Hanok Village,” “ China: Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland Hotel,” “Thailand: Dealing with Bangkok’s Climate Challenge,"and “Interview: Chairman Nicholas Brooke.” This special issue will be available at the ULI Asia Pacific conference in Shanghai and mailed to ULI members in Asia.

As global tourism spreads to more remote locations, deliberate measures can create positive outcomes for the environment—and local cultures.

The InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland Hotel in China’s Songjiang District, near Shanghai, appears modest when approached from ground level because only two storeys project above ground and green roofs help them blend into the surrounding greenery. But when guests step inside, they see the dramatic construction, attached to the rock like a hanging garden.

Nicholas Brooke, an acclaimed authority on land administration and planning matters, and one of Hong Kong’s most widely recognized champions of innovation and technology, has received dual recognition from ULI in being selected as the new chairman of the Asia Pacific region and the first ULI Life Trustee from Asia Pacific.

Hong Kong’s former chief executive, C.Y. Leung, now a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, an important political advisory body, said the development of the broader region could be a significant driver of growth and relieve stress on the core market for new construction.

Seoul’s Bukchon Hanok Village is a 600-year-old traditional settlement located in the southern part of the city that was once home to the aristocratic families of Korea’s Joseon dynasty. Although many of the area’s historic hanok homes have disappeared over the centuries, rebuilding work during the 1930s ensured some 1,200 traditional homes still exist in the area.

If smart cities are to serve their populations, the human element must remain crucial for their designers and developers, attendees at the 2018 ULI Asia Pacific Summit were told. A panel of developers, designers, and planners mulled over the development of the smart city in Asia during the summit, held in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s land supply problem is not attributable to a lack of money, but rather is an issue of finding the physical space for development, as well as a matter of perception, said the chief executive of the Hong Kong SAR, speaking at a ULI event.

Blackstone Group’s Stephen Schwarzman built a Rhodes Scholarship–type programme at Tsinghua University.