Step into an elevator inside the world’s tallest building, and watch the lights dim as the doors close. The elevator begins to climb, and the darkness is broken by a video of other famous buildings, each taller than the next. Eventually, only a projection of the Burj Khalifa itself remains. Soaring 2,717 feet, it is roughly three Eifel Towers tall. Your ears confirm this, and after the elevator doors open to the observation deck, so do your eyes.
As developing countries continue to experience population growth, rapid urbanization, and economic and industrial expansion, the need for effective and high-value infrastructure will remain acute.
The China example shows that it will be important for other countries to invest not only in high-quality infrastructure, but to also dedicate sufficient thought in how best to plan and deliver these projects to stay within cost and time budgets.
Former U.S. National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski discusses the impact of China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative and other key developments in global power dynamics. Among other strategic insights, he proposes establishing a trilateral connection between the United States, China, and Russia.
Reconnecting Asia is tracking developments across a vast landmass that includes 60 percent of the global economy. Every day, new infrastructure projects are announced, some are advanced, and others encounter obstacles. Here is a selection of the top projects we’re watching in 2017.