One Square Meter

Commuters wait to enter a subway station during the morning rish hour in Beijing on June 19, 2013. Despite some five million private vehicles in Beijing, public transport faces heavy congestion on a daily basis as most of the city's 20 million people head to work. AFP PHOTO / Ed Jones (Photo credit should read Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)

How polluted is your commute?

We all know about pollution above ground -- but what about the air quality in our subway systems?

China's 'sponge cities' aim to re-use 70% of rainwater

Introducing Hong Kong's millionaire party pads

Is this the most sustainable way to stay in the jungle?

How New York ignited a global High Line craze

The great debate: Is 'female architect' an offensive title?

Google unveils plans for 1m sq ft London headquarters

The World: a floating city of millionaires

Why these extraordinary buildings need to be saved

How much would fictional houses cost in real life?

Lotte World Tower opens in Seoul setting world records

Why do these failed paradises exist in Hong Kong?

About One Square Meter

From Sao Paulo to St. Petersburg, and Shanghai to Dubai, One Square Meter explores leading architectural designs, city plans and demand for property, both residential and commercial, in exciting emerging markets. Read more about CNN's special reports policy.

With John Defterios

John Defterios

John Defterios is the CNNMoney Emerging Markets Editor.

Watch on CNN TV

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Showtimes:

Watch One Square Meter on CNN International every 2nd Tuesday of the month during Connect the World from 1500 GMT

Should China move its historic monuments?

Will these houses make you dizzy?

Utopian cities of the future re-imagine life on Earth

World's cutest apartments?

The most expensive city to live in 2017 is ...

Do these village homes have the best view in China?

The evolution of North Korean architecture

Can "luxury" cage homes fix Hong Kong's housing crisis?

Nepal's top 5 responsible boutique hotels

View from the heavens

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY OUERDYA AIT ABDELMALEK
Original urinals and cisterns are pictured in "Attendant", a former public toilet that has been converted into a coffee shop and sandwich bar in central London, on October 3, 2014. With spiralling land prices turning even the darkest corners of London into potential goldmines, the city's forgotten spaces, including 19th-century public toilets, are blossoming into restaurants, cafes and boutiques. Many Victorian urinals remained abandoned for decades after World War II, but encouraged by local officials keen for fresh sources of income, the conversion wave is gathering pace. AFP PHOTO/LEON NEAL (Photo credit should read LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images)

London's public lavatories get a make-over

This proposal features a distinct installation on every bridge by different international artists. Pictured here is "Invisible Ripples," by UK painter Chris Ofili.

Painting with light on London's River Thames

VIERNHEIM, GERMANY - JUNE 23: A police helicopter flys outside the movie theatre Kinopolis where an armed man was reportedly inside on June 23, 2016 in Viernheim, Germany. According to initial media reports he entered the cinema today at approximately 3pm, fired a shot in the air and barricaded himself inside. (Photo by Alexander Scheuber/Getty Images)

A Godlike experience ... house hunting by helicopter takes off among Chinese

The Big Apple, New York City, as captured by photographer Vincent Laforet for his AIR project.

Photographer captures mega-cities from 12,000 feet

Rise of the timber skyscraper

Highlanders: The architects redefining Scotland's northern reaches

Earthquake-proofing the tallest skyscraper in California

Previously on One Square Meter

Fresh snow blankets the mountains behind the downtown skyline after a series of storms that hammered northern California delivered much needed precipitation to the Greater Los Angeles Area January 7, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. With the threat of mandatory water rationing still in effect because of prolonged drought, the rain is a small step toward relief. Forecasters had predicted flash floods and mudslides near large areas that were denuded by wildfires of historic proportions in October, and some mandatory evacuations were declared, but little damage was reported.

Downtown Los Angeles makes a stunning comeback

Singapore: South East Asia's architectural hub

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Abu Dhabi owners reshape Manchester City

The studio of the stars is up for sale

Leaning house is designed to stand out

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Architects face up to London's housing market

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Take a look inside Tehran's transformer house

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Singapore's ultimate luxury trend: The sky garage

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Could living underground make London more affordable?

Big ideas

The Space Exploration Architecture and Clouds Architecture Office took home first prize for their "ice House" design in NASA's 2015 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge.

Meet the man working with NASA to 3D print a colony on Mars

The 2016 Epic Architecture Quiz

The high-rise office building is the first in Australia to use a double-skinned glass facade, which uses computer-controlled shades to shield the sun and distribute natural light.

Skyscraper central: Rise of the glass giants

'The Trellis': London's next record-breaking skyscraper

Maishima Incineration Plant, Osaka -- Dubbed "MOP" this Hundertwasser-designed incineration plant was finished in 2001. The 394-foot chimney stack draws attention thanks to its colorful and creative design.

Is this the most beautiful way to burn trash?

Glow-in-the-dark cement could revolutionize how we light cities

sm_03_25 May Sportcenter-now- Sportsko rekreativno poslovni centar -Milan Gale Muškatirović-Belgrade-Serbia-built between-1973-75-architect- Ivan Antic. photo Dumitru Rusu © BACU

Saving the socialist architectural legacy

Parasite properties invade Paris' 19th century cityscape

We asked readers to tell us how their cities are changing. The result? A stunning collection of photos that depict a world on the rise (literally).

#CNNMyCity: Amazing images of changing cities

More From the Series

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Ecuador's sustainable rainforest reserve

Saint Petersburg's new hipster hangout

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Rethinking old smoke stacks in London

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 10: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox tips his cap after the Cleveland Indians defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-3 in game three of the American League Divison Series to advance to the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 10, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

How the Red Sox changed the neighborhood

Shanghai Tower unveils world's highest art space

The world's second tallest building now boasts another claim to fame

Air conditioning units line a side of a building in downtown New Delhi.

Is this the end of air-conditioning?

Architects in Asia are using green solutions to cool buildings

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Hamburg's dazzling new concert hall

The Elbphilharmonie is Hamburg's new world-class concert hall, a collaboration between acoustician and architect.

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The transformation of downtown Los Angeles

Since the 1990s, Los Angeles transformed from a work center into a city with resident diverse communities, street food and a vibrant cultural life.

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Modernizing Beijing's historic capital

Can one architect's low-cost pre-fabricated modernizing techniques save this charming Chinese neighborhood?

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London's Olympic legacy: 4 years on

One Square Meter visits the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to check out the home of London 2012 four years on.

Pittsburgh's comeback: Reinventing the Steel City

Explore Bakery Square and discover how Pittsburgh is finding ways of building upon its past, while looking ahead.

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Tokyo: Living large in a micro-house

Take a look at Japan's micro-houses, incredible pieces of architecture designed to fit on a tiny plot and offer an affordable way to live in crowded areas.

A model business: The tiny world of big buildings

Dubai model makers, 3dr, aim to preview ambitious construction projects through finely detailed miniature models.

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'Expo efffect' redefines Milan's skyline

CNN's John Defterios explores what will happen to the Milan Expo 2015 site once the fair leaves town in October.

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Turning Tbilisi trendy

Georgia's capital city is undergoing a real estate transformation.

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The world's biggest contemporary African art museum

Explore the 38-million-dollar Zeitz Museum in Capetown, a massive, weather-beaten structure sitting within the V&W waterfront development.

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How do you solve Addis Ababa's 'crazy' housing problem?

Building, paving and constructing: Addis Ababa is growing fast, offering high-end apartments and tall glass buildings. But can the government keep up?