Cities could tackle the global problem of rising levels of waste and depleted resources by using organic waste, such as bananas, potatoes and maize, as building materials, says Arup.

Global construction equipment sales rose 28% last year to almost 894,000 units, according to Off-Highway Research. This was the highest the market has been since 2012, and was a marked turnaround from 2015 and 2016 when worldwide equipment sales bottomed-out at 702,000 units.

Surbana Jurong and Vanke Industrial Town (Midwest) have signed an agreement to jointly develop Industrial New Towns in China. The project will feature the latest people-centric urban development model that integrates industrial developments and urban living.

Samsung C&T has been awarded a contract to build the new 1,760-MW Jawa 1 power plant in Indonesia. It is expected to be the biggest  combined cycle power plant in Southeast Asia, which aims to supply electricity to approximately 11 million homes.

Max Lytle has been appointed as new managing director for JCB Southeast Asia. He will be based at the company’s regional headquarters in Singapore.

Alstom has teamed up with Siemens, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, George Kent and Porr to bid for the AssetsCo tender for the Kuala Lumpur – Singapore High Speed Rail project. They will work together to prepare a joint offer encompassing engineering, procurement and construction as well as operations and maintenance for the tender.

The Indian state of Maharashtra has announced its intention to build a hyperloop between Pune and Mumbai. Construction is expected to be completed in two phases, starting with an operational demonstration track built between two points on the route.

CapitaLand Limited has acquired a prime site for a new mixed-use development in Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi. It will comprise a 380-unit residence, around 230,000 sq ft of office space and over 208,000 sq ft of retail space.

Surbana Jurong has signed an agreement with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport and Urban Development (JOIN) to deliver the New Clark City project in the Philippines.

The Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport & Urban Development (JOIN) has made some investments in new mixed-use developments in Jakarta, Indonesia.