population growth - maps

Density of districts of Tokyo-to (Islands excluded) , based on Tokyo map from wikipedia by
利用者:Lincun, Krisgrotius. Data from Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Tokyo Statistical Yearbook, here. Persons/Km2, colour scale based on logarithmic plot. SVG file available upon request, Creative Commons 3.0 etc.

This post is not really about infrastructure, the series will continue but today I present some maps instead.

roads 2 : variety of change

1 Odakyu-line is for a good part of it route through Setagaya-ku a bridge.  This mega structure is built according to future plans for the city.  So at surprising places the span between the supports is greater than necessary to accommodate the current roads. This is where the future roads will cross the railway, the precise date for the completion of the road widening is uncertain in many cases.

roads 1: Pending change - a week of infrastructure

Notes on a place pending change, the houses are occupying this site waiting for a road project to start.

twelve zones, the city defined - a week of infrastructure

Zoning map above shows the Setagaya-ku which mainly is filled with dense and low buildings (coloured blue). The red/pink shows commercial developments, around railway stations or along roads. Just to be clear, the green areas doesn't imply a park or vegetation. Even if parks can be green in the map.

The Japanese zoning system contains rules about use, floor area ratio, building height, building coverage area and other things. There are 12 zones in total. The maps show the pattern of development of the urban fabric.

constructing landscape - a week of infrastructure

Around the edges of Tokyo Bay[Wikipedia] all land is artificial, if you look at the link you will. This process of constructing an islands and extending land has been going on for a long time, it is used for many different things, Haneda airport, housing, industry and entertainment. But now the end of this process of landfill is in sight. This is the story of island that is supposed to be the last one. This is the sea forest proposed by Tadao Ando, article here.

2 roads: shuto expressway - a week of infrastructure

Shuto Expressway route C2, meets route 4, Shinjuku-line. Above the intersection of Koshu Kaido and Yamate-dori.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway is without doubt the most outstanding and important structure in the fabric of the city. Massive concrete and steel beams support a vast network of roadways that weaves its way through the entire capital, its tentacles stretching as far as the outlying districts of Yokohama, Saitama and Chiba. This traffic roller-coaster flies through and over the cityscape, skimming low-lying rooftops, snaking between towering office blocks and diving into underground tunnels. It adds a further dynamic dimension to the hilly Tokyo landscape, drawing attention to the constantly changing levels and differences between areas, whether industrial, residential or commercial. This three-dimensional, sequential space has no comparison worldwide.

Tajima N. - Tokyo: A Guide To Recent Architecture, 1995.

1 railways - views

Tokyu Toyoko from Linus Yng on Vimeo.

More than just transport and flows, the railways can provide a view of the city in movement. Above a film from Tokyu Toyoko (Tokyo-Yokohama) line by me. Below are pictures from two other lines worth  travelling with for the radically different view they provide of the city.

1 railways - a week of infrastructure

The city as a composition of lines representing railways, subways and streetcars. Tokyo is defined by public transport.