TOKYO

In the 21st Century, land use planning in Tokyo is designated based on National Land Use Planning Act and another five laws pertaining land use. The other laws that guide land use planning in modern Tokyo include Law Concerning the Improvement of Agricultural Promotion Areas, Nature Conservation Law, City Planning Law, Natural Park Law, and Forest Law.[1] These laws were formulated to help in regulating urban areas such as Natural Park Area, Forestry Area, Natural Reserve, and Agricultural Area. For this reason, land use in the above-mentioned areas is regulated and guided by their respective laws. Different sections of the national government ensure that these laws are enforced and adhered to as expected. The use of land in urban areas in Tokyo is controlled by regulations that are provided in the City Planning Law. Urban areas in Tokyo are divided into two main categories. These categories are Urbanization Control Area (UCA) and Urbanization Promotion Area (UPA).

 

Apart from the divided urban areas, there are undivided urban areas that primarily exist as provincial towns at the periphery of metropolitan regions. There are twelve basic categories that must be selected in Urbanization Promotion Area (UPA), floor area ratio, building coverage, and building height among others to be followed in conjunction with the Building Standard Law. Natural Park, Forestry, Natural Reserve, and Agricultural areas have special areas within them to strengthen the restrictions on land use. These special areas help to protect Tokyo’s farmlands and natural resources. However, as Hall explains, the law provides for allowable development projects in areas outside the special areas, provided the projects meet some requirements. At times, this has led to the destruction of farmlands and natural resources that are being protected.[1]

 

Although Tokyo has passed the phase of rapid growth, infrastructure such as road and rail networks are developed on a continuous basis. The completion of three major express ring roads (Metropolitan Inter-city Expressway, Central Circular Route, and Tokyo ‘Gaikan – Outer Circular’ Expressway) that was planned forty years back, is posed to alleviate traffic congestion in the central part of Tokyo and additionally, connect Tokyo to other Japanese cities. Tokyo plans to build other arterial roads to link Tokyo with other cities. There are also plans to enhance the railway network in Tokyo by constructing new railway lines.[5]