S2E56: The one design feature that makes Taiwan ‘ugly’

Metal window grilles were meant to keep households safe from burglars but they have been fingered as eyesores. Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in. One of Taiwan's names is "Formosa" - given by Portuguese sailors who sighted the island in the 16th century and called it "Beautiful Island" given its natural wonders such as mountains, forests and hot springs. In more recent times though, Taiwanese officials and designers have complained about a man-made blight across its cities: ubiquitous, often rusty, metal grilles criss-crossing windows. Together, foreign editor Li Xueying and Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee, surface a larger discussion about the pace of urban renewal in Taiwan - a challenge that many Asian cities face, given the competing imperatives between urban renewal, heritage conservation and the rights of homeowners. Highlights (click/tap above): 1:00 The ugly truth about Taipei's buildings 2:06 Taiwan's window bars mystery 4:53 The beauty behind the rust 7:42 Challenges in urban redevelopment 12:12 Cycling and pedestrian safety in Taiwan Read Yip Wai Yee's article here: Read Li Xueying's articles: Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: Sign up for ST's weekly Asian Insider newsletter: Host: Li Xueying ( xueying@sph.com.sg ) Edited by: Fa'izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here: Channel: Apple Podcasts: Spotify: Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg SPH Awedio app: --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: Get more updates: The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: Google Play: ---

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S2E56: The one design feature that makes Taiwan ‘ugly’ is an episode from Asian Insider by ST Podcast Team.

This episode is 16:26 long.

This episode was published on Jan 1, 2026.

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