# Cities with advanced infrastructure



## Peteralt (Oct 15, 2012)

I love exploring. Using Google Earth to explore the World's cities is far cheaper than flying! I am amazed by the complexities of highway interchanges and other infrastructure of many cities. In the US, these include Detroit, Chicago, Houston, and Miami-Ft Lauderdale. My latest "exploration" was Mexico City.

To my amazement, Mexico City is by far one of the best planned I've seen! It looks like many of the future urban designs I've seen dreamt up by modern urban visionaries with its symmetrical use of planned public and green areas and underground road interchanges.

What cities have impressed you with its advanced infrastructure and why?


----------



## mpeculea (Jan 7, 2013)

Me too. You might want to take a look at some Cities in Europe too. Oslo, Madrid, Lisbon or Istanbul. You will find, they are a bit different from North American cities, but also quite interesting.
Also interesting is watching how the infrastructure grows in some Eastern European cities like Warsaw, Katowice, Prague or Belgrade, and how cities solve specific problems.
Butof course, you might already know all that...


----------



## Levathian (Apr 28, 2010)

Definitely Singapore and it's MRT. Cheap as chips, reliable and safe


----------



## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

I would have to go with HK on this one especially it's ultramodern infrastructure. Public transportation is one of the best in the world especially it's MTR. The fact the majority of it's residents use public transportation to get from Point A to Point B.

The fact HK innovated the smart card which is used as payment on various public transportation and other retail such as convenient stores. 

It's airport is one of the most modern in the world plus the fact there are express immigration lanes for those with The HK Permanent ID.


----------



## Bannor (Jul 23, 2011)

Singapore has a better system than Hong Kong I think. Hong Kong's system might be faster, but the geography of Hong Kong makes public transport alot harder. In Singapore the system is not completely built out yet, but it is already well built, and it is very well thought through. Has a stop at every interesting destination, and if you are looking for a hidden hawker center gem somewhere the bus system is also very good, although the scheduels are terribly random (you might hit 3 busses in 2 minutes and then 0 in 30-40... The highway network in Singapore still needs an upgrade but there are some fantastic plans for an underground network. It is quite good already though. The problem is more all the high fees to be able to own a car there.

In some cities parts of it is well built, while other parts are bad. Puxi in SHanghai has a very good system, while Pudong is worse off in terms of metro. Although the roads on the Pudong side are very good.

In europe I have no idea how you can mention Oslo. Sure the ring roads are nice, but the traffic jams are bad, and the metro system is not really well built.

In europe you deffinately find the best public trasport in Germany and Berlin, Hamburg or Munich (add the lengths of the S bahn and U bahn networks and you see what I mean.

Noone beats german cities in terms of roads either. They are #1 in the world in both categories in fact.

In north america I think Chicago has the best infrastructure all in all. I'm not really impressed by New York's, and in Detroit/Miami there are good roads, but the public system is bad.

Tokyo and Seoul does have great systems though! And Tokyo also have very nice roads which I love to drive on. Outside of rush hours at least


----------



## SO143 (Feb 11, 2011)

*London Motorways* | Highways/Autoroutes/Autobahns


Helicopter Flight - M25 / M23 Junction by BillKatyGemma, on Flickr


M2 motorway by Jon Agar, on Flickr


----------



## SO143 (Feb 11, 2011)

*London High Speed Rail* | HS1




















Southeastern Class 395 Javelin - St Pancras International, London by Neil Pulling, on Flickr


Onboard the SouthEastern High Speed train by Stuart Preston, on Flickr


Rainham-2_UK_30-06-2009 by chrisadowns, on Flickr


----------



## SO143 (Feb 11, 2011)

*London Commuter Rail* | Heavy Rail




















London Overground train interior with passengers B by Transport for London Press Images, on Flickr


London Overground train in Haggerston station by Transport for London Press Images, on Flickr


Waterloo Station - View of Platforms From Control Centre by Tristan Appleby, on Flickr


Hungerford Bridge by code_martial, on Flickr


----------



## SO143 (Feb 11, 2011)

*London Light Rail* | Docklands Light Railway (DLR)


Canary Wharf Dockland Light Railway station by kwikzilver, on Flickr


IMG_8128.jpg by tompagenet, on Flickr


Unit 111 at Stratford High Street by JTRO85, on Flickr


City Airport (DLR) by Sparkyscrum, on Flickr


DLR by jeremy768, on Flickr


Darting to the dome by rthakrar, on Flickr


Limehouse Basin  by KürvZ, on Flickr


Limehouse station by qwghlm, on Flickr


----------



## SO143 (Feb 11, 2011)

*London Underground* | Subway/Metro


Southwark Station by Trowbridge Estate, on Flickr


IMG_3143.jpg by Kurt Raschke, on Flickr


Canary Wharf tube station by Ewan-M, on Flickr


Canary Wharf Underground Station by Kavinda.K, on Flickr


London Bridge (Jubilee line) Station by Trowbridge Estate, on Flickr


----------



## SO143 (Feb 11, 2011)

*London Buses* | TfL Bus Network


Arriva London LT4 (LT12 DHT) - Piccadilly by Lou Lou Donut, on Flickr


Bus shelter, Enfield Town, 2010 by BristolRE2007, on Flickr


----------



## SO143 (Feb 11, 2011)

*London Communal Bicycle Scheme* | Barclays Cycle Hire


Untitled by smsm1, on Flickr


Barclays Cycle Hire Docking Station, Grosvenor Road, Pimlico by Paul Farmer 36, on Flickr


Rental bicycles by Barclay by Lars Plougmann, on Flickr


----------



## SO143 (Feb 11, 2011)

*London Trams* | TfL London Tramlink


Tramlink route 1 at East Croydon by bowroaduk, on Flickr


Stadler Variobahn Tram by Peter G Trimming, on Flickr


----------



## SO143 (Feb 11, 2011)

*London Cable Car* | Emirates Air Line


Emirates Air line River Thames cable car by M0GXN, on Flickr


arrivals by worldoflard, on Flickr


takeoff [180/366] by worldoflard, on Flickr


----------



## SO143 (Feb 11, 2011)

*London River Services* | Transport For London


London Bridge City Pier by ufnoof, on Flickr


Greenwich Thames Clipper Meteor by Not that grumpy, on Flickr


Canary Wharf -Thames Clipper by stevedexteruk, on Flickr


----------



## Robi_damian (Jun 15, 2008)

^^ Yes, London has excellent transport facilities both inside the city, and in terms of connections to other cities and countries. But not necessarily better than Paris, Madrid or other large Western European cities. You went a bot over the top with all those pictures.


----------



## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Please refrain from picture dumps in this section in future as it detracts from discussion. 

Many thanks.


----------



## Galro (Aug 9, 2010)

Bannor said:


> In europe I have no idea how you can mention Oslo. Sure the ring roads are nice, but the traffic jams are bad, and the metro system is not really well built.
> )


I think our airport is great too. One the best ones I have ever been to.


----------



## calaguyo (Nov 28, 2008)

I've been to some of Asia's most advanced cities except Tokyo and Shanghai. Hong Kong top the list followed by Singapore, then Taipei, then Seoul. Hong Kong simply because everything starts from the airport/seaport. From there, you can travel through the city by MTR and ferry and through the nearest borders of Shenzhen, Macau by riding the ferry and coaches. It is very convenient. 

I also like the infrastructure in China, very well planned. In Guangzhou for instance, there are subway stations in almost all part of GZ. There are also station that connects subway to high-speed rail going to North China and South China and to the airport.


----------



## IDigFla85 (Feb 22, 2005)

IN speaking from terms of appearance from Google Earth, I would say the Netherlands has some eye candy for infrastructure. 

Of course some of the newly constructed Chinese areas look amazing as well.


----------

