Planned futuristic cities in Johor Malaysia

The Future Southeast Asia Newsletter features transport and urban development news in Southeast Asia, edited by James Clark.

This week accidentally features two articles from Johor. I usually try to geographically spread the articles out, but these two stories demanded my attention.

The first article is about IBTEC, which is a newly-concocted new urban area. A famous architect is planning part of the city, but there is little information about it. I created a fact sheet to keep track of the development.

The second article is about Forest City, which has become best known as a ghost city. This article was first published in the newsletter in 2022. The newsletter format doesn’t allow many photos and some of the photos went missing. I’ve republished it with more photos.

I will be publishing a News Extra newsletter for paid subscribers this week.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

• Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC): New tech city in Johor, Malaysia

Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC) is a 7,290-acre township in Sedenak, Johor, Malaysia. IBTEC is planned as a major circular city within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

• The bad urban design of Forest City: Malaysia’s futuristic city making the same mistakes as its old cities

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News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Techo International Airport construction reaches 80%, inauguration set for mid-2025

• Cambodia-Korea Friendship Bridge to be built in June 2025

• Cambodia sees 8 pct drop in construction investment in H1

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Government plan to slash Commuter Line subsidies sparks backlash

• Jokowi awaits airport to be ready before starting work from Nusantara

• Indonesian govt explores plan to establish skytrain, ART in Bandung

• Bali Underground LRT Plan Still On: Luhut

• Indonesia's Tourism Minister plans to build toll road connecting Northern and Southern Bali

🇱🇦 Laos

• Workers say massive construction project in southern Laos SEZ has stalled

“Many people on the hotel and casino development haven’t been paid for several months, the workers said.”

• New LOCA mini taxi service to provide environmentally friendly transport options, boost employment

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• FT minister confirms new construction approvals in KL suspended after sinkhole incidents

• ‘KL underground mapping vital’

“Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) should establish a comprehensive underground mapping system for city infrastructure and utilities, if it does not already have one, says Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM).”

• KL-Singapore HSR feasibility to be announced in Q4 this year - Chairman

• The MRT3 Circle Line is coming: Here's where you can find out more about it starting today

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🇵🇭 Philippines

• MRT-7 still on track to partially open next year: DOTr

• ADB finalizing $500M loan for PH’s climate action efforts — DOF

• Floods to persist in Bulacan after recording high subsidence rate from 2014 to 2020 — study

• Poorest regions left out in transport projects – study

🇸🇬 Singapore

• Construction of S’pore’s longest elevated cycling bridge across PIE to start by October

• Robots that paint and lay floor tiles revolutionising construction in Singapore

🇹🇭 Thailand

• Transport Ministry awaits new Cabinet with plan for 13 mega projects

• Govt drawing up bill to get southern Thailand's Land Bridge going

"The southern Land Bridge megaproject will move forward as the government is currently drafting the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) bill, which is required for the project to continue".

• Suriya plans to expand 20-baht flat fare as commuter numbers soar

"The transport minister aims to apply a flat-fare policy to all routes by September 2025 after the initial rollout led to a 26% increase in passenger numbers."

• Wide support for Koh Chang bridge at first public hearing

“Four proposed routes under consideration.”

• Planned Kathu-Srisoonthorn road gets inspection

"The long-touted project to build a new road connecting Kathu and Srisoonthorn is set to move forward now that the land required has been donated by three prominent local families, say local officials."

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Long Thanh airport passenger terminal in southern Vietnam projected to  finish by Aug 2026

• Incheon Airport Group wins bid to manage Long Thanh Airport operations

• Hà Nội needs US$37 billion to finance metro line expansion plan

• Hanoi plans to start work on seventh bridge within inner city this year

• Construction begins on national exhibition center, expected to be among world’s 10 largest, in Hanoi

• Prime minister endorses land reclamation for free trade zone in Da Nang

• 1,800 families in HCMC to be displaced for construction of expressway to Cambodian border

• HCMC inaugurates Vietnam's largest wastewater treatment plant

• Can Tho's $9.2 billion project aims to save Mekong Delta's fastest-sinking city