Towards a new society brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic;
“30-Minute Urban Areas” Accelerating Mosaic-like Development
Atsushi Omatsu, Head of Urban Project Department, NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD
（The positions in this article were current at the time of publication.）
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The impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) compelled us to work from home, but for all of its inconveniences, it also offered us great insight. I believe that the changes that have been brought about by this awareness will eventually have an impact on the shape of cities.
I would like to talk to you about some of the potential for this feeling.
Atsushi Omatsu, Head of Urban Project Department, NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD
（The positions in this article were current at the time of publication.）
COVID-19 shaping changes in behaviors and values
Our lifestyles have changed dramatically since the end of March when people stayed home voluntarily. Perhaps the greatest change for office workers was in their workstyles. The fact that we could get on with our work every morning without swaying on a crowded train as we rubbed our tired eyes came as a great shock to us in a good way. We understood that the obstacles to teleworking, which has already been achieved from a technical standpoint, were the business practices and workstyles that we have accepted as a matter of course.
Of course, there are many people who have become aware of the surprising depth not only with the way they work, but also in other familiar spheres of their daily lives. Perhaps there are more than a few people who have been impressed with the history of a nearby shrine or temple without needing to visit a famous tourist spot, or enjoyed activities and interactions in public spaces, such as plazas and promenades, that have made good use of microtopography and closed conduits. There have also been significant changes in the means of transportation, with more people shying away from public transport where space is shared with other people, such as railroads, buses and taxis, and selecting personal modes of transportation, such as walking or bicycles as they prioritize safety.
Of course, there are many people who have become aware of the surprising depth not only with the way they work, but also in other familiar spheres of their daily lives. Perhaps there are more than a few people who have been impressed with the history of a nearby shrine or temple without needing to visit a famous tourist spot, or enjoyed activities and interactions in public spaces, such as plazas and promenades, that have made good use of microtopography and closed conduits. There have also been significant changes in the means of transportation, with more people shying away from public transport where space is shared with other people, such as railroads, buses and taxis, and selecting personal modes of transportation, such as walking or bicycles as they prioritize safety.
Expectations for middle areas between city centers and residential areas
The issues that were found with working from home abruptly gained widespread acceptance. This period of time also coincided with school closures, creating the difficult problem of balancing the joy of more time with children with the demands of work. In a dual-income household, there is also the issue of dealing with noise and internet environments when online meetings are held at the same time. I imagine that there were quite a few people who wanted to find a workplace near their homes where they could concentrate without having to go to an office in the city center.
Perhaps these demands will increase in areas located midway between the city center and residential areas in the future in large metropolitan cities. It may be beneficial to enhance related exchange and commercial facilities as well as workspaces of course, with medical institutions also scattered in locations throughout these middle areas. It is said that the average commute in the Tokyo metropolitan area takes about 50 minutes each way, so I believe a commute time of 25 to 30 minutes from the home or office to this area midway would be appropriate.
Perhaps the workstyles in these middle areas do not always last from morning until evening. Maybe it is possible to work in this middle area only in the morning and then travel to the city center for work in the afternoon; alternatively, it may be possible to return home and work from there after attending an online meeting in this middle area. Walking between home and this middle area would be ideal, but it would also be good to commute by bicycle or small electric vehicles to go shopping or pick up your child along the way. This middle area (Fig. 1), which could be reached within 30 minutes from both your home and office in the city center, seems like it would need to be able to flexibly respond to these diverse lifestyles. Therefore, there may be an increase in the number of multitasking spaces that can easily shift to other applications depending on the season and time.
Perhaps the workstyles in these middle areas do not always last from morning until evening. Maybe it is possible to work in this middle area only in the morning and then travel to the city center for work in the afternoon; alternatively, it may be possible to return home and work from there after attending an online meeting in this middle area. Walking between home and this middle area would be ideal, but it would also be good to commute by bicycle or small electric vehicles to go shopping or pick up your child along the way. This middle area (Fig. 1), which could be reached within 30 minutes from both your home and office in the city center, seems like it would need to be able to flexibly respond to these diverse lifestyles. Therefore, there may be an increase in the number of multitasking spaces that can easily shift to other applications depending on the season and time.
Prospects for changing Tokyo’s urban structure
If these changes move ahead in Tokyo, where would these middle areas be located? For example, strong candidates could include areas designated as “energetic and lively base districts” and “base districts in key areas” in the Tokyo metropolitan area’s urban development system (Fig. 2). It may be easy to imagine this area located inside and outside of Ring 7 to the west and the area between Ring 6 and Ring 7 to the east. Railroad stations form the center of all of these groups of base districts, and offices in the city center can be reached within 30 minutes. Moreover, if these areas are within a 20- to 30-minute walk or bike ride, it is likely that they will be able to cover the residential areas of businesspeople who also commute to the city center.
The city center of Tokyo was originally a multi-centric structure. The business base of Daimaru, commercial façade of Ginza, historic and cultural area of Nihonbashi, as well as the areas around the huge terminal stations of Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and Shinagawa all create different urban ambiances. Today, Akasaka/Roppongi and the coastal areas have become the new faces of Tokyo.
Even in middle areas where development is expected to take place in the future, it is important to create metropolitan areas that are packed with originality, where each area’s individuality stands out because of their differences in history and culture, as well as topographical features, as is the case in the city center. This will accelerate the change to a mosaic-like urban structure (Fig. 3) that Tokyo is considering as its ideal urban image.
Even in middle areas where development is expected to take place in the future, it is important to create metropolitan areas that are packed with originality, where each area’s individuality stands out because of their differences in history and culture, as well as topographical features, as is the case in the city center. This will accelerate the change to a mosaic-like urban structure (Fig. 3) that Tokyo is considering as its ideal urban image.
Of course, the real value of top-notch live entertainment and spectator sports that can only be experienced in the city center is also being rediscovered. I believe that our lifestyles will become even richer and more convenient by combining the high-quality lifestyles in city centers with lifestyles in urban areas centered around areas that can be found midway within a 30-minute radius.
Signs of change that have already come to pass
According to the results of a PT survey on the Tokyo metropolitan area published by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in November 2019, the total number of trips has decreased for the first time since the survey started in 1978 (Fig. 4). This decrease in trips in the current climate where the population of the Tokyo metropolitan area continues to grow and the number of working women has risen may be an indication that a diverse set of workstyles, such as working from home, is quickly becoming more prevalent than anticipated. I think that young people who have shifted away from large corporations, such as young incubators and creatives, are leading this trend. In the future, as large companies steer towards diversifying their workstyles, changes in the ways people work will accelerate significantly. I hope to focus on detailed analysis and insights in the future.
Fig.4 Changes in the total number of trips and total population
