Over the past 50 years, China's urban population has increased more than seven-fold, from 72 million in 1952 to 540 million in 2004. By 2030 Asia will be home to nearly 55 percent of the world's urban population, up from less than a third in 1950. The entire region is experiencing an urban building boom perhaps unrivaled in history.

Jeffrey Heller, president of Heller-Manus Architects in San Francisco, launches the 2010-2011 ConocoPhillips Environmental Speaker Series with a visual tour of urban challenges and potential solutions in Asia, from the planning disaster of Mumbai to the success of Shanghai's World Expo.

Heller-Manus' projects include a 26-story office tower currently under construction on the Huang Pu River in Shanghai. The firm is also leading the design and construction of a master plan for the city center of Guangzhou, China's third-largest city.