"Los Angeles: A city that outgrew its masterplan. Thank God."

A longtime Angeleno makes the case that Los Angeles's notorious sprawl and lack of uniformity create "a distinctive type of vitality that I've felt nowhere else" -- and should be a model for any new metropolis.

"Christchurch: After the earthquake, a city rebuilt in whose image?"

A 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand's second-largest city, left thousands homeless and destroyed the city center's infrastructure. As rebuilding efforts slowly begin, residents debate what kind of city the new Christchurch should become.

"Ishinomaki: New communities rise from tsunami's devastating divisions"

Fifteen thousand Ishinomaki residents still live in temporary housing after a 2011 tsunami. Once strangers thrown together from different parts of the city, these groups have become communities in their own right. What happens when their new homes are ready?