Panasonic

Japan may still be recovering from earthquake-related woes, but that’s not stopping Panasonic and eight partner companies from pushing ahead with their own rebuilding effort that could reshape the way future cities and towns are built. Part demonstration initiative and part reclamation project, Panasonic and friends are turning the footprint of one of the company’s former factory sites into a 47-acre, 1,000-home “smart town” with energy- and eco-conscious considerations leading the development.