Original title:
Urban redevelopment II
Dumplings and skewers
Japanese cities are being retrofitted for an aging population
Urban redevelopment II
Dumplings and skewers
Japanese cities are being retrofitted to cope with the aging population
The coastal city of Toyama is a global exemplar of “compact living
Coastal Toyama City is a global model of "compact living"
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TOYAMA NESTLES between a deep blue bay and snow-topped peaks, some 250km northwest of Tokyo.
Toyama is located between a deep blue bay and snow-topped peaks, some 250km northwest of Tokyo.
In many ways, it is a quintessential regional Japanese city: its residents are graying, Its industry is stable but sclerotic, its cuisine is exquisite.
In many ways, it is typical of Japan's regional cities: its residents are aging, its industry is stable but rigid, and its cuisine is exquisite.
American firebombs targeting its steel mills wiped out 99% of Toyama’s center during the second world war.
During World War II, American incendiary bombs destroyed Toyama's steel plant and 99% of the city center.
Afterwards, the city was rapidly rebuilt and sprawled as its population grew. But times have changed.
Since the 1990s the city of 414,000 (and falling) has been battling the ills of an aging population: ballooning bills, falling tax revenues and an out-of-date urban plan.
Since the 1990s, this city of 414,000 has been battling the ills of an aging population: rising spending, falling taxes, outdated urban planning.
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Yet Toyama has battled much better than most—even managing a modest revival.
Yet Toyama has battled much better than most—even managing a modest revival.
On a new central plaza stands the crown jewel of the renewed Toyama: a cultural complex designed by Kuma Kengo, a star architect, containing an extensive library and a glass art museum.
In a new central square stands the crown jewel of Shin-Toyama: a cultural complex designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma, containing an extensive library and a glass art museum.
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The city has adopted what urban planners call a “compact city” policy.
Toyama City has adopted what urban planners call a “compact city” policy.
Recognizing That sprawl is expensive to build, maintain and service, planners try to make cities smaller, denser and less car-reliant.
Planners are aware of the problems of urban sprawl, high maintenance and service costs, and they try to make cities smaller, denser and less dependent on cars.
These aims, long pursued in Europe, are relatively new to Japan.
These are goals long pursued in Europe, but are a relatively new concept to Japan.
The World Bank calls Toyama “a global role model” for compact cities.
The World Bank calls Toyama a "global role model" for compact cities.
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Planners there have pursued what they call a “dumpling and skewer” structure, in which denser hubs (the dumplings) are linked by public transport (the skewers).
Toyama planners have pursued what they call a “dumpling and skewer” structure: dense activity hubs (the dumplings) linked by public transport (the skewers).
Making it work required first winning over lots of recalcitrant locals.
For this structure to work, it first needs to win over the support of die-hard local residents.
Mori Masashi, who was Toyama’s mayor from 2002 to 2021 and spearheaded the transformation, held hundreds of town hall discussions of the plan.
Mori Masashi, who was Toyama’s mayor from 2002 to 2021 and spearheaded the transformation, held hundreds of town hall discussions of the plan.
He also traveled widely to learn from cities as far as Amsterdam and Portland.
He also traveled widely to learn from cities as far as Amsterdam and Portland .
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Thoughtful design helped. The new light rail has carriages that align flush with station platforms, eliminating the steps that can trip up elderly riders.
Thoughtful design helped. The new light rail cars will be flush with station platforms, eliminating steps that could trip elderly passengers.
Lest youngsters feel left out, the city also built a skatepark, a rarity in Japan. Such projects made canny use of the city’s existing resources.
In order to prevent young people from feeling left out, Toyama also built a ski resort, which is rare in Japan. These projects make full use of the city's existing resources.
Old rail tracks were repurposed for the new light rail, a move that reduced costs by 75%, according to the World Bank.
Old rail tracks were repurposed for the new light rail, a move that reduced costs by 75%, according to the World Bank.
While the government handled construction, it farmed the rail network out to an expert private firm. The government also provides subsidies to attract residents to move into activity centres.
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The policy, though no panacea for the demographic squeeze, changed Toyama’s trajectory.
Although this policy is not a panacea for solving population decline, it has changed Toyama’s development trajectory.
The city arrested the outflow of people from its center: net migration into the downtown area was negative before 2008 but has since been growing.
Toyama City arrested the outflow of people from its center: net migration into the downtown area was negative before 2008 but has been growing since 2008.
The new developments have made property more attractive.
The new developments in the city have made the real estate industry more attractive.
Land prices in the city center had been declining by around 2% a year until 2012; in the decade since, they have grown by an average of 2% per year, with gains in some areas reaching as high as 6%.
Using increased tax revenue from the revived city center to support more remote parts of the region is a “basic model for other cities”, says Nitta Hachiro, the governor of the surrounding prefecture, also called Toyama.
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The new urban design may have other long-term benefits.
New urban planning can also have long-term benefits in other ways.
Public transport use among those aged 60 and older has more than trebled.
Public transport use among those aged 60 and older has more than tripled.
Small-scale studies show promising results: old folks who stay active by using their discount transit passes need less nursing care than those who do not.
Small-scale studies show promising results: old folks who stay active by using their discount transit passes need less nursing care than those who do not.
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For those living far from the centre, the benefits are less clear.
For those living far from the centre, the benefits are less clear.
The compact city is a “bubble” which people outside it look on with “cold eyes”, says one 73-year-old shopkeeper in the suburbs.
Local governments with aging, shrinking populations face hard choices about where to keep water and sewers running and where to close schools and clinics.
As populations age and shrink, local governments face hard choices about where to keep water and sewers running and where to close schools and clinics.
Even as cities strive to become more compact, they may fail to reach the density necessary to keep businesses profitable, says Okata Junichiro, of the University of Tokyo. But they must try.
Japanese cities once grew boldly. As the population ages and declines, they must learn to shrink with grace.
Japanese cities once grew boldly. As the population ages and shrinks, Japanese cities must learn to shrink gracefully.
(Congratulations on finishing the article, the English vocabulary of this article is about 827, with some deletions)
The original text comes from: "TE" Asia section on December 24, 2022
Intensive reading notes come from: The Road to Free English
This article is translated and organized: Irene
This article is edited and proofread: Irene
is only for personal English learning and communication.
[Supplementary information] (from the Internet) [Key sentences] (3 pieces) The Road to Free English
Toyama City (Toyama) is located in the center of the Japanese archipelago, in the central north of Honshu, facing the Sea of Japan, and equidistant from the three major metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Osaka , and Nagoya, and has a unique geographical environment. Surrounded by steep mountains and deep water bays on three sides, the vast plain stretches continuously and is surrounded by mountainous areas such as the "Northern Alps Tateyama" mountain range, forming a unified and coherent terrain with Toyama City as the center and a radius of 50km. The number of plant species growing there ranks first in Honshu Island, Japan. It is rich in water resources and has relatively developed agriculture and fisheries, forming one of the few industrial belts along the Sea of Japan coast. Since the local pharmaceutical industry has been developing since the 17th century, Toyama City today is also known as the "Pharmaceutical Capital" in Japan. In addition to many traditional pharmacies in the urban area, there are also pharmaceutical industry clusters formed within the jurisdiction, including Toyama Chemical Industry, Nissan Chemical, Fuji Pharmaceutical Industry, and Fuji Pharmaceutical. Many pharmaceutical companies have set up factories here.
Kengo Kuma is a famous Japanese architect who enjoys a high international reputation. His architecture combines classical and modern styles. It has won the International Stone Architecture Award and the Natural Wood Architecture Spirit Award. He is the author of " ten houses on ", " negative architecture " and other works.
Compact city compact city: A conceptual model of urban sustainable development proposed in response to urban disorderly spread. It emphasizes improving the efficiency of urban land use and the quality of urban development through strategies such as mixed use of land resources and intensive development. Compact cities, smart growth, and new urbanism are the three contemporary urban concepts endorsed by sustainable development . "Compact city" originated in Europe, mainly in response to the sprawling development faced by cities at that time, emphasizing that cities have boundaries, high-density development, mixed land use, functional complexes, pedestrian scale, and social and cultural diversity.
The city has adopted what urban planners call a “compact city” policy.
Toyama City has adopted what urban planners call a “compact city” policy.
The policy, though no panacea for the demographic squeeze, changed Toyama’s trajectory.
This policy, though not a panacea for the demographic squeeze, changed Toyama’s trajectory.
Japanese cities once grew boldly. As the population ages and declines, they must learn to shrink with grace.
Japanese cities once grew boldly. As the population ages and shrinks, Japanese cities must learn to shrink gracefully.
