Universal Parks & Resorts has revealed plans to launch two entirely new visitor attractions concepts – a family-focused theme park and resort in Texas and a year-round horror experience in Las Vegas. Described as a "one-of-a-kind theme park, unlike any other in the world", the new Texas resort will feature immersive themed lands, family-friendly attractions, interactive shows and character 'meet and greets' utilising Universal’s IP. Designed as intimate and engaging for

Universal Beijing Resort in China is preparing to embark on the second phase of its construction programme. The project will add around 2.2sq km to the total park area and will include up to five new hotels. This means the second phase will more than double the current size of the 1.8sq km park. The announcement comes less than three months after the park opened its doors to the public,

New details have been revealed about the immersive, game-themed Super Nintendo World, which is due to open at Universal Studios Japan in Tokyo this summer. The theme park land has been conceived for visitors to feel as if they are playing inside their favourite Nintendo video games and will feature Nintendo’s well-known worlds, characters and adventures. Technology and design will be used to blend the physical world with a digital,

Untitled Toronto, the residential tower designed by musician Pharrell Williams in collaboration with IBI Group and U31, will combine parametric design, natural elements and "universal spaces" intended to act as a backdrop for the lifestyles of its residents. The development will comprise two towers with a shared podium and was inspired by the concept of a jugalbandi – a performance in Indian classical music featuring an intricate duet between two

Construction on the Universal Hip Hop Museum (UHHM) – the first institution of its kind in the US – is expected to begin by the end of 2019 in the Bronx, the birthplace of hip hop music. Supported by a team of acclaimed rap stars and disc jockeys, among whom are LL Cool J, Ice-T, and Kurtis Blow, UHHM will celebrate the genre's enduring resonance and cultural significance with various

French property developer and construction firm GA Smart Building has been selected to build the Universal City, a 30,000 sq m mixed-use complex dedicated to disability athletics and wellness. The nine-storey facility – first conceived by social activist and sportsman Ryadh Sallem for the citywide urban regeneration scheme "Reinventer Paris" (Reinventing Paris) – will rise on a vacant lot adjacent to the Porte de Pantin station in the 19th arrondissement

China’s central planning body has warned developers about the country’s ongoing theme park boom, raising concerns over potentially unpayable debts and low grade or copycat developments, as new parks continue to spring up across the country. As of the end of 2015, China had 59 parks planned or under construction, with the figure now thought to be in the hundreds. This explosion in theme park development in the country is

Tokyo Disney could undergo its biggest expansion in over two decades, as operator Oriental Land is reportedly in discussions over a ¥300bn (US$2.68bn, €2.25bn, £1.98bbn) mega-development for the resort. According to multiple news sources in Japan, the plans are not part of the previous ¥250bn (US$2.22bn, €1.88bn, £1.65bn), 10-year expansion plan for Tokyo Disney, which includes new attractions based on Beauty and the Beast and Big Hero 6, as well

A vacant plot located along the Harlem River waterfront in New York has been earmarked as the site for a major new residential and leisure development – including a home for the city’s first dedicated hip hop museum. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has announced a raft of ambitious plans for its new Bronx Point destination, including public open spaces, a hi-tech multiplex theatre, education facilities for

Universal Studios has broken ground on its largest ever theme park project – a CN¥50bn (US$7.4bn, €6.65bn, £6bn) development set to open in Beijing in 2020. While Disney and Wanda battle for theme park supremacy in China, Universal has now entered the race, with the massive investment to cover 4sq km (2.5sq m) in Tongzhou – an eastern district of Beijing. With ground breaking on the development this week, once

Universal has offered a first-look at its “next-generation” Volcano Bay, promising to redefine the waterpark experience with everything from the queue line to the park’s immersive theming. Volcano Bay, which suffered a minor setback this month following a fire at the construction site, will open by 1 June 2017, according to officials.