Urban settlements are an inevitable part of our future. Both our and the next generation’s wellbeing depends on the decisions we make now towards emerging cities. Surveying cities of the region, I have seen not only best practices that encourage people to live in a self-subsistence lifestyle, but also other urban lifestyles that privilege a minority. The resources of the Mekong Region are increasingly under pressure and do not have the capability to sustain a massive rise in consumption. This article has revealed that rediscovering how rural lifestyles could compliment urban living could offer a genuine urban alternative for the region; the question is, can urban planners afford to ignore it?