cities

Songdo City was planned as a futuristic international business hub. Instead, it's become popular among Koreans as an attractive residential area. This story is the latest in NPR's Cities Project.

The city installed new public toilets that are better ventilated than port-a-potties and include running water. But they turned out pricier than expected, and plans for more are circling the drain.

The nation's largest retailer is known for sprawling suburban and rural stores. Now Wal-Mart is moving into city centers — sometimes despite strong local opposition.

In Los Angeles, some see drought as a design opportunity. The Arid Lands Institute in Burbank is developing ways to turn the city into a "sponge" in order to take in water and store it for later.

Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh pumped $350 million into downtrodden downtown Las Vegas to make it a home for startups and a place young people want to live again. Three years in, is it working?