Historical
Planning
Due to the geographical location of
Tokyo on the fault lines, and Japan's heavy involvement in World War II,
much of the city has been newly constructed due to destruction during earthquakes
and bombing raids (especially in 1945). The worst earthquake to strike
was the great
Kanto earthquake (1923) which left most of the city devastated. What
was worse was the houses were densely packed and made of wood, and when
fires broke out after the quake, havoc reigned the city. The death toll
was measured at 104,619 and the injured people list amounted to 52,704.
The Japanese were so ill-fated that their prime minister at the time died,
increasing the gravity of the situation. The Japanese blamed arson on the
Westerners and the immigrant Korean population. But these theories were
soon refuted. The reconstruction period led different to rebuilding schemes
within the city.
1. Amount of land given to heavy
industry was increased.
2. Geographic expansion of the
city, whereby the population moved from the congested inner city into safer
and less dense spaces.
3. Suburban boundaries had to be
redrawn due to the growth of these areas. This was done in 1932.
4. The post-war period was characterized
by suburbanization and hence growth was decentralized from the center of
the city.
5. Tokyo began to be more polycentric
and multi-nodal instead of focussing on a singular Central Business District
(CBD), emphasizing on commercial districts on the periphery of the city.
6. These were important on the
west side of the city (Shijuku and Shibuya), which began to compete with
CBD offices, retailing and entertainment functions of the central city.
This area was referred to as the secondary heart of the city or fukutoshin.
Multi nodal development continues to be the cities main planning goals
for the future.
Devastation
after the 1945 air raids
7. Post-war demilitarizing gave a new
prominence to sports in Tokyo. This led to the developmentof an Olympic
Stadium and the village around it, making it the "Champs Elysees of Tokyo."
The national gymnasium designed by Tange Kenzo, is of architectural fame
worldwide.
8. The Olympics helped in sprucing
up much of the city, as in proximity to the site tourist businesses set
up, and developed as Japan's principal fashion district.
9. The Olympics also afffected
urban development in terms of transfroming Japan into an international
city. New hotels were built near the imperial palace and the CBD, several
new public parks and gardens, clean up of slums and building of project
housing and the vagrants in the city were sent away in exile or to institutions.
The
national gym designed by Tange Kenzo
Urban
Problems Associated With the Rebuilding of the City
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