74
plots of less than 1000 m
2
can be developed as, for example, 8 housing plots with
a dead- end street generally 4 m wide or a bit wider. Urban sprawl areas such as
Tagara in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, a former agricultural area, are urbanizing through
“mini” developments in tandem with incremental development of streets and
parks (Fig. 4.21). At the same time, some farmers continue to maintain their
farmlands to produce vegetables and fruits. As urbanization advances, streets and
parks are developed incrementally, thus slowly transforming an agricultural area
into an urban residential area. Arterial roads – high capacity urban roads – are
also constructed. In this kind of incremental development, new houses are constructed little by little over a long period of time. Home-buyers mostly in their
30s and 40s will move into the area gradually thus contributing to the diversity of
resident age groups. In addition, this kind of development leaves opportunities
for urban farming.
4.3.5 Uniqueness of Japanese Urban Planning
Japanese urban environment can be characterized as the islands of planned development in the sea of urban sprawl where urbanization occurred without master-planned
infrastructure. The formal approach of Japanese urban planning and development
has been to increase the areas of planned development through urban development
projects and to install skeletal infrastructure in already-sprawled urban areas. What
results is vast areas of grey urban environment.
Fig. 4.20 Concept of urban land use planning (Adapted from “Introduction of Urban Land Use
Planning System in Japan, City Bureau, Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
(2003) 国土交通省都市局都市計画課提供)
M. Yokohari et al.
plots of less than 1000 m
2
can be developed as, for example, 8 housing plots with
a dead- end street generally 4 m wide or a bit wider. Urban sprawl areas such as
Tagara in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, a former agricultural area, are urbanizing through
“mini” developments in tandem with incremental development of streets and
parks (Fig. 4.21). At the same time, some farmers continue to maintain their
farmlands to produce vegetables and fruits. As urbanization advances, streets and
parks are developed incrementally, thus slowly transforming an agricultural area
into an urban residential area. Arterial roads – high capacity urban roads – are
also constructed. In this kind of incremental development, new houses are constructed little by little over a long period of time. Home-buyers mostly in their
30s and 40s will move into the area gradually thus contributing to the diversity of
resident age groups. In addition, this kind of development leaves opportunities
for urban farming.
4.3.5 Uniqueness of Japanese Urban Planning
Japanese urban environment can be characterized as the islands of planned development in the sea of urban sprawl where urbanization occurred without master-planned
infrastructure. The formal approach of Japanese urban planning and development
has been to increase the areas of planned development through urban development
projects and to install skeletal infrastructure in already-sprawled urban areas. What
results is vast areas of grey urban environment.
Fig. 4.20 Concept of urban land use planning (Adapted from “Introduction of Urban Land Use
Planning System in Japan, City Bureau, Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
(2003) 国土交通省都市局都市計画課提供)
M. Yokohari et al.