Coming back from almost 3 weeks in Japan, one of the things that struck me the most was how much better their cities were compared to most Western ones.
High density that still feels humane. Affordability that enables mixing of diverse socioeconomics statuses. Ease of getting around without the painful externalities of cars. Aesthetic pleasure, from single family homes to the high rises a few blocks away.
In the West, we’re used to a relatively strict tradeoff between delightful livability in pleasant surroundings and economic efficiency.
We know how to build environments that are pleasant to live in.
Japan has extreme density at key transit hotspots. Think a shopping mall that doesn’t suck, that is easy to get to from any part of town, and has lots of office space attached or nearby.
Crucially, density can stay high as you move away from transit hubs while still making a space that’s pleasant to live in. No cars parked, smaller streets, but plenty of green. Residential mixed with commercial. But buildings are not tall — plenty of light at street level without needing large offsets from the street. Everything walkable. People walking around because it’s pleasant and convenient.
Basically, Hudson Yardses connected by subway, with West Villages in between.
As housing costs rise, build more. Osaka has a density of 30,655 people per square mile (11,836 * 2.59), making it the most dense major urban area in Japan and among the denser urban areas in the high income world. West Village, NYC is at 73,300.
Yet we find it easy to ignore these lessons, both when improving our existing spaces and when building new ones.
