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BobBob

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Just returned from Tokyo where I took lots of photos which would be classified under "urban porn" so I thought I'd share a few. I tried to select ones that depict different, and interesting, urban environments. I was particularly impressed by how little disruption to the urban fabric elevated expressways and at-grade railways cause when people actually build stuff all around them and underneath or on top of them.

Anyway, without further ado...

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Hope you enjoyed!
 
Some are. There are some from Sunshine 60 in Ikebukuro as well, and the Shibuya night shots are from Cerulean Tower. Being a sucker for awesome skyline views, I visited lots of tall buildings with public views. Fortunately, there are tons of good restaurants and bars on top floors of tall buildings in Tokyo, in addition to the public viewing galleries.
 
Amazing density. I'd be interested to know what urban planners in Tokyo think of the elevated expressway running through their city; it makes the problem with the Gardner look quite petty.

...Tommy Lee Jones looks 'lost in translation.
 
There are expressways crisscrossing all parts of the city, with minimal disruption to the urban fabric. Often they are elevated right overtop of major avenues which nevertheless are lined with bustling shopping and retail.

I think it's all in the details of the design. These expressways are more compact than the Gardiner and the ramps are much better thought out, so you never feel menaced by the road. Where the ramps make pedestrian crossings complicated, there are always pedestrian bridges or tunnels to substitute.
 
Tokyo-One of the world's most densest-populated cities...

BobBob: Good Tokyo pics! Are pic#7 and#8 the Ginza? How was Tokyo for getting around in? How was the transit system for you to use? I remember that Tokyo is one of the world's most expensive cities.-How did you fare cost-wise on your trip? LI MIKE
 
LIM: Pics 6,7,8 are of Shibuya, a major node in west Tokyo. Pics 4 and 5, as well as the second-last one, are from Ginza. While Ginza's focus is mostly on high-end shopping (major department stores, luxury European labels), Shibuya is more teen oriented and a tad trashy, but unbeatable in terms of sheer urban intensity and excitement. The big scramble crossing (pictured) is truly amazing to behold, and partake in.

Tokyo is amazingly easy to get around in. Central areas are quite walkable but the city as a whole is too vast to navigate on foot. The public transit system is incredible. There is Tokyo Metro, which runs about 8 subway lines, as well as TOEI, comprised of 4 subway lines run by the municipal government. In addition to these, JR (Japan Rail) East runs multiple surface lines, most notably the circle Yamanote line, which has tons of connections to subway and private rail lines, and constitutes a kind of backbone for the city. All the major nodes are on the Yamanote line. Both subway companies, JR, and a multitude of private railways (Tokyu, Seibu, Keisei, etc, etc) which run suburban lines, are all integrated with seamless transfers using smart fare cards. The whole system is a pleasure to use.

I didn't find Tokyo to be very expensive. Prices were generally comparable to those in Toronto. Fruits and vegetables are much more expensive, but everything else was about the same or cheaper. Recent appreciation of the loonie against the yen has had a bit of an effect there.
 
BobBob were you able to take a look at those overnight sleeping areas in selective train stations? Some of them look like techno-coffins, or at best miniature hotels.
 
Elevated expressways

Quote: There are expressways crisscrossing all parts of the city, with minimal disruption to the urban fabric. Often they are elevated right overtop of major avenues which nevertheless are lined with bustling shopping and retail.

I was in Tokyo in May. One of the things I noticed is that almost every waterway in the city is covered by an expressway. Only the Sumida River was not (because it's too large - and there was an expressway right beside it). I loved Tokyo, but you have to be realistic, putting expressways on top of waterways is hardly minimal disruption.
 
It's not *every* waterway (the Meguro river is another which is lined with nice promenades for much of its length), but you're right, it's a pretty unusual thing to see. I suppose that's easier than the mass expropriations which are necessary for building over land. Like I said, many expressways are also elevated over wide avenues, again using a pre-existing right of way.

What I meant in terms of disruption of urban fabric pertained to the built form and use of buildings. An elevated expressway typically isn't surrounded by a blighted area as it would be in NA. People hardly seem to notice them. It might be a cultural thing, or it might stem from the huge density over there (no choice but to live/work/play around expressways), but I think there's a big design element too, which made me feel encouraged that we could make big improvements to the area around the Gardiner over here.
 
I don't think it is necessarily valid to use successful examples in Asia to conclude that similiar schemes would work in North America - I believe there are differences in expectations in the public realm. Tokyo (and Hong Kong, etc) is hyper-dense, with real estate being a premium - it's much easier to animate marginal spaces like those under expressways, given the sheer density of people and services required to support them - and that people would actually use the space. Case in point - I used to live in a large condomium megaplex (an Acrology might be an apt description), which is bisected by a major elevated roadway that is the dingest environment ever. That said, the land underneath it, given the lack of space in the area, managed to house basketball courts, a market, a major bus station AND illegal street vendors. Take that situation to North America, and I am pretty sure it will remain a windswept wasteland.

AoD
 
Those are some great pictures. I'd love to be able to visit Tokyo someday - the place looks amazing. 'Urban Porn' is a perfect moniker for these shots.

I've also long been an advocate of refurbishing the Gardiner and immediate area. While many claim that it must be removed for the area to be rehabilitated, there is no justification for this as the resulting thoroughfare (something at-grade, or tunnel) would disrupt the core even more. GO GARDINER!
 

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