3 ms·

This blogpost lays out a pretty convincing case that difference between Japanese and (say) American zoning laws are the main reason for this type of "continuous

This blogpost lays out a pretty convincing case that difference between Japanese and (say) American zoning laws are the main reason for this type of "continuous urbanization" in Japan. http://urbankchoze.blogspot.com/2014/04/japanese-zoning.html http://urbankchoze.blogspot.com/2014/04/japanese-zoning.html

dnomad 8y ago
It's not unique to Japan: many other Asian cities exhibit dynamic, multi-polar cities and extraordinary continuous density. > 1- Zoning is a national law, not a municipal by-law This is pretty much it.The fact that strong central governments can ensure good density and growth means that Asian cities are growing as needed to serve the national economic agenda. In the West, particularly Europe and the US, cities are ruled by local municipal powers who all have strong incentives to stop growth and increase prices/rents. There's really no mystery here.
- stevenwoo 8y ago
  Interesting policy in urbanization/national economic agenda in China. https://www.economist.com/china/2018/06/23/china-is-trying-to-turn-itself-into-a-country-of-19-super-regions https://www.economist.com/china/2018/06/23/china-is-trying-t...