Urban White Paper on Tokyo Metropolis 2002

Transcription

1 Urban White Paper on Tokyo Metropolis 2002 By Bureau of City Planning Tokyo Metropolitan Government Part I. "Progress in IT and City Building" Effects of computer networks on cities and cities' response to IT With the progress of computer networks, selective siting of corporate functions showed itself as a new trend in which the headquarters of corporations concentrate in downtown Tokyo while other functions are dispersed in peripheral areas. Moreover, clusters of business-supporting companies formed in the areas around downtown Tokyo. With the dispersion of functions in the areas around downtown Tokyo, there is a growing probability that the arrangement of the city's business functions will be reorganized. In connection with this trend, the White Paper has pointed to the need for "city building" that makes best use of the characteristics of each area. Urban development responsive to round-the-clock urban activities Exchanges of information not limited by time and distance have been rendered possible by the progress of computer networks, and as a result, the hours of the day when individuals are active have diversified. Areas and facilities that are active in wider time periods than in the past, such as office areas, amusement quarters, airports, and port facilities, have increased, and the White Paper has pointed out the importance of conferring on cities the conveniences that match their activities and completing city functions and infrastructure that meet their needs. Changes in the distribution of goods and flow of traffic The White Paper has clarified such trends as the increased distribution of goods at a high frequency in a small quantity at one time, and a rise in the volume of international procurements and international exchanges due to the progress of information technology, particularly E-commerce. The White Paper has stressed the need to hammer out such measures as the adoption of the intelligent transport system (ITS), transportation demand management (TDM) and modal

2 shifts to counter the increasing load on transportation infrastructure due to such developments as the above-noted frequent distribution of goods in small quantities. IT and community While showing examples of on-line formation of a new community through the Internet, etc., the White Paper has pointed out the possibility of forming a resident-participatory-type new town through IT. Part II. "The Current Conditions in Tokyo" Chapter 1. Salient features of trends in Tokyo's population The residential population of Tokyo topped 12 million in 2000 for the first time in its history. Before that, the population outflows to the three neighboring prefectures continued. In 2000, the flows were reversed, and the population of Tokyo showed a net inflow. As the background to the reversal, the White Paper has pointed out a decrease in the number of people moving out of Tokyo and the stabilization of population, particularly in the ward areas. In the intercity wide-area linkup zone, the residential population, the daytime population and the working population nearly doubled in the past 30 years as a result of an active supply of housing and the growth of core cities. Regarding the balance between jobs and residences, the White Paper has shown the ratio (the number of workers on a domicile basis divided by the number of workers on a workplace basis), and clarified that in the said zone, a well-balanced growth has been seen. The White Paper has analyzed the trends in the population of Tokyo's 23 wards by using a geographic information system (GIS) and shows that the populations of key areas have increased as a result of the supply of large-scale multi-household housing. The White Paper has also analyzed the relations between the increase in population and the supply of multi-household housing and says that the supply of multi-household housing plays a real role in the growth of Tokyo's population. The White Paper has compared the breakdown of the population by householder's age in the three wards in the Metropolitan center in 2000 with that in 1995 and has clarified that a high percentage of people belonging to the child-raising generation, who in the past have moved out of Tokyo, are now returning to Tokyo. Based on such findings, the White Paper says that it is necessary to improve the residential functions even in the Metropolitan center, including living environment-supporting functions, as a vital part of "city building."

3 Chapter 2. Problems and tasks in land utilization Present condition and changes in land utilization In the ward area, highly efficient land utilization has progressed with the construction of office buildings and multi-household housing instead of factories and detached houses. In the Tama area, a change to an urban-type land utilization, such as the expansion of residential land, is progressing. In commercial areas, the number of commercial facilities along highways is increasing, and the number of residential-commercial combined facilities near railway stations is decreasing. Factory area as a whole is in a declining trend. The trend whereby factory lands are converted into land for office buildings and housing is very evident. After factory closures the vacant areas play an important role in upgrading and further developing city functions. Expansion of the variety of volume-to-lot ratios in residential-industrial areas The volume-to-lot ratio in areas where the designated ratio is 200% to 400%, such as residential areas, neighboring commercial areas and semi-industrial areas, is underutilized. Those areas are urban areas mainly occupied by low buildings where small and medium-sized factories and stores exist side by side with residences. The volume-to-lot ratio that can be designated is at least 200%, but the difference with the actual situation is great. As a result, the volume-to-lot ratio is underutilized. In those areas, the number of medium-rise condominiums, etc., that fully use the designated volume-to-lot ratio is increasing, and there are fears of environmental deterioration because urban infrastructure cannot cope with the growing needs in those areas. About that, the White Paper has pointed out that proper guidance should be extended in areas where urban development featuring diversified usage is planned, with active utilization to be made of the scheduled widening of volume-to-lot ratio options.

4 New fire prevention zones In quasi-fire prevention zones, detached houses are mostly made of wood. In this respect, quasi-fire prevention zones do not differ from non-designated zones, and the designation of areas as quasi-fire prevention zones does not contribute to fire prevention. New fire prevention zones should be created whose structures should be given higher fire-resistant features, and guidance should be extended to enhance the fire resistance of such areas through the reconstruction of structures. Curbs on fragmentation of land The per-capita size of land owned by individuals has been decreasing almost in a straight line in the last 20 years or so. The number of people who own a parcel of residential land of less than 100 square meters has been tending to increase in the past 10 years. The number of building construction starts indicates that the building of small-sized domiciles on land areas already crowded with such units will continue. It is necessary to create urban spaces of high quality by curbing the fragmentation of parcels of land and combining existing small parcels of residential land. The strategic character of areas other than center core zones A study was done for the purpose of putting together the concept of a network structure based on the living area shown in "Vision," and clarifying the tasks to be undertaken to develop such a compact town with this living area as its center. The White Paper has taken up the scale of accumulation of commercial floors, the sales and the number of stores in shopping areas and the number of passengers at railway stations as the indicators of the town's vitality centering on its railway stations. The target areas were selected within the urban environment revival zones and examined the potential of such zones as a strategic point. Even stations surrounded by busy commercial activities, including those which are important junctions, the level of urban infrastructure around them is not always high. For example, there are town areas of high vitality even though their roads are narrow, such as Nakano, Shimo-kitazawa and Jiyugaoka. When we take a look at very vital towns, we feel that the clusters of individualistic

5 specialty stores worth visiting and attractive spaces with their own unique atmosphere are important factors in forming a positive living environment, playing a central role for a wide area. In order to further enhance the characteristic of being a strategic point, it is necessary to create spaces for pedestrian traffic that support the vitality of an area, complete a road network for the convenience of visitors from outside and renew functions through redevelopment. Chapter 3. Business environment Present condition of business environment The rate of vacancy at small offices in Nihonbashi, Yaesu, etc., is high despite lower rents than in Otemachi, Yurakucho, etc., but office buildings are antiquated in almost the same degree. The difference is in the scale of offices. Offices in such places as Nihonbashi and Yaesu are generally small, and it is known that they cannot meet the growing demand for large offices. In order to settle this problem, it is absolutely necessary to combine the building sites by implementing the town block reorganization program, etc., and convert downtown Tokyo into an area with a business environment. Siting new industries and urban development Small offices and home offices (called "SOHO") in the Shibuya area are mainly advertising- and design-related enterprises and Mitaka's SOHO include many information and service companies. Correlations between the type of industry and siting are seen. SOHO area Shibuya in particular has a strong regional image as a gathering place for young people as well as being a fashionable and trend-setting spot. As a result, SOHO - a cluster of advertising- and design-related enterprises - came into being. The animation industry and SOHO businesses have an established mode of operations by farming out jobs. This clustering has progressed to facilitate the securing of talent. For the above reasons, in order to attract new industries, creation of offices is not enough. The individuality and characteristics of the given area and the factors that induce companies to site their operations must also be taken into consideration.

6 Chapter 4. Urban development projects in the private sector and cities' attraction and vitality Effects of development on neighboring areas The White Paper has examined the effects of development in town blocks within the radius of 500 meters from the project site and compared the conditions at the time of the completion of the development project and those after five years. As a result, it is known that the number of employed workers, the number of business establishments and the annual sales of the retail trade have increased to a greater degree than the average in Tokyo's ward areas. In particular, this compound-style development enhances the image of the area and increases the number of visitors. A rise in the area's image enhances the images of enterprises operating there. Urban development projects in the private sector and city building in the future There are correlations between the uses of areas surrounding a compound development project and the reconstruction of buildings. Therefore, it is necessary to induce development while giving full play to the characteristics of the surrounding areas. Areas developed by projects are often sited by companies and neighborhoods. Therefore, it may be said that the relocation of city functions, such as the business function and residential function, are progressing in Tokyo as a result of development projects. It is absolutely necessary to enhance the vitality and appeal of such areas as Tokyo's ward areas and downtown by combining the accumulation of functions in business zones and the realization of a good living environment in the surrounding areas. Source: Access time: 01/05/2004