Urban design

Not enough done for physically disabled in Taiwan

Welfare groups urge more help for disabled people:

Hsieh Dong-ru (謝東儒) the Secretary-General of the League of Welfare Organizations, said "What we have cared most about is which cities and counties have made the most effort to get rid of obstacles for the physically disabled."

He also said that cases such as Yen Hsu-nan (顏旭男) showed that the nation needs to do much more for the disabled. Yen suffered from a genetic disorder in which the bones break easily. Yen died earlier this year from injuries sustained after a student who was carrying him on his back accidentally slipped and fell.

Urban design and transportation: Seoul, an example for Taiwan.

Seoul's way sets a good development precedent: Seoul destroyed a highway in order to free a river flowing through the city. In taiwan, however, "incessant construction is seen as the only indicator of political achievement".

Taiwan is [by comparison to Seoul] backward in its approach to transportation. One example of this is the Huanhe Road project that is to follow the course of the Xindian River in Taipei County. Despite years of public opposition, both Taipei County and the Ministry of the Interior's Construction and Planning Agency are still hoping to build the elevated expressway.