Seth Dixon‘s insight:

We’ve all heard stories about the horrible air quality in Beijing (especially during the 2008 Olympics).  Here’s a picture of Beijing by Tom Anderson that I find riveting.  The skies are horribly polluted but this image shows two competing cities that are at odds with each other; on the one hand the cosmopolitan capital that is sophisticated and technologically advanced.  On the other side we see the industrial city that is recklessly producing copious amounts of consumer products with little regard for the environment or worker safety.  These are both true reflections of China in the 21st century and the tension between the two will be one of China’s great issues in the foreseeable future.       


Tags: pollution, planning, development, economic, megacities, East Asia, industry.