At Digital City Briefs, we believe that the digital city is here to stay. We research and share best practices related to smart infrastructure and sustainable development.
在數碼城市簡報，我們相信數位城市是在這裡呆。我們的研究，並分享有關智慧基礎設施和可持續發展的最佳做法。
Taiwan's geography is characterized by rugged mountains in the central areas and urban centers along the coastal areas. Taiwan’s High Speed Rail (HSR) links the north and the south in only 90 minutes. With a price tag of US $ 18 billion, it is one of the largest privately built and managed HSR projects in the world.
“It is without saying that the benefits brought by the Taiwan High Speed Rail are a fast and convenient way of the trans-island travel linking north to south of Taiwan, and it also brings people together leading to an prosperous and fulfilled life.”
Shilin Night Market is located within minutes from the Jiantan MRTStation. It is one of Taipei’s most famous hot spots for eating and socializing. It can get very crowded with tourists as well as the locals.
“Don't expect a joie de vivre you know from Europe, where you sit down comfortably, eat slowly, possibly enjoy a nice drink afterwards (like coffee or tea) and converse. That's NOT the case in Taiwanese night markets, so forget it! You're in Asia. A lot of people are eating out here, markets are crowded, Taiwan is crowded. So eat fast and leave fast, that's how Taiwanese do!”
Taipei City Government has heavily promoted Shida as a tourist site. Shida Road is a vibrant retail corridor with shopping, food and entertainment venues, supported by six universities and more than 60,000 students surrounding the area. Shida is also a prized real estate due to its central location.
However, popular restaurants and entertainment establishments are being shut down by the local inspectors, citing an old regulation prohibiting businesses in alleyways of 6 meters or less. “Saying these restaurants illegally opened up in narrow alleys is dubious at best, because just about every narrow alley in Taipei has businesses in them.” The critics fear that the government is simply clearing the area to allow large development projects in place of a vibrant retail district. “Shida will become like many other high-turnover business areas — soulless.”
A CBS TV program in San Francisco broadcast two episodes of “It’s Time for Taiwan”, a travel program hosted by Liam Mayclem, the world’s leading travel guide. The main theme of the tour was the Taiwanese Lantern Festival in Hsinchu, and a visit to the Sun Moon Lake.
“The group tour was advertised in the Bay Area in November last year by the Tourism Section of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in San Francisco.”
美國 CBS 電視節目在三藩市廣播兩輯的"這是臺灣的時間"，一個旅行的程式由 Liam Mayclem 主辦，世界領先的旅遊指南。這次旅遊的主題，主要是新竹和日月潭訪臺灣元宵節。"游刊登在灣區 11 月去年旅遊節的臺北經濟文化辦事處（東元) 在三藩市的。"
Taipei government has made concerted efforts to promote tourism, as a way to increase revenue. They have recently revitalized three small towns known as Shuijinjiu, which have been quite successful. Shuijinjiu mean “lasting beauty” in Chinese, and the word includes first characters of three towns: Shuinandong, Jinguashi and Jiufen. Tourism has been growing and the towns attracted 3.35 million tourists in 2011, mostly from Japan, China, Hong Kong and Macau.
Another promotional campaign is for Pingxi, a site for the annual sky lantern festival. Taipei is also developing low carbon tourism at Shuangxi for tourists who like physical challenges such as hiking. “The provision of secure, cheap and convenient public transportation is a prerequisite for mass-market tourism,” said Lee Wen, commissioner of the city’s Tourism and Travel Department.”
Although luxury housing in Taichung may cost a quarter of what it costs in Taipei, the market in Taipei is not slowing down. A new building recently sold its penthouse unit for NT$3.04 million per ping. A ping is approximately 3.3 square meters. The central bank has stepped inspections and tried to tighten credit controls the boom keeps going.
“It is borrowers who command the upper hand in a market with flush liquidity and low interest rates.”
蓬勃發展的豪華房繼續雖然在台中豪華住房可能成本四分之一的它在臺北市臺北市的市場中的成本不會減慢。新的大樓最近出售其頂層複式單位為 NT 美元每坪 304 萬。Ping 是大約 3.3 平方米。中央銀行已加強巡查，並試圖收緊信貸控制經濟繁榮時期持續下去。"這是借款人與充裕的流動性和低利率的命令在市場上風"。
The Ministry of Interior has proposed amendments to the Urban Renewal Act, which would give greater protection to property owners. The changes were triggered by clashes between police and supporters of Wang family. “Wangs did not express their opposition soon enough and were thus considered to have legally consented to the project. Also, because three-fourths of the -residents in the area agreed to it, the opposition of the Wangs was legally invalid.”
The revisions would give more opportunities to express opposition and four fifths of property owners must consent to a project before it can be approved.
