In Japan, owners of vacant space can rent them out by the hour, day or week to people who need them for temporary purposes thanks to a new website.
The website enables people like fruit sellers to set up shop temporarily on otherwise unused land, creating a mutual benefit for landowners.
"Ito, a director of Sunny Products Inc, in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, capitalized on the Nokisaki.com website set up by Nokisaki Co, a Tokyo firm acting as an intermediary for landowners who want to rent vacant or idling ‘‘nokisaki (the eaves of the house)'' spaces at relatively low costs and tenants who wish to lease such areas by the hour, day or week. Unlike regular property leasing, the contracts concern only the right of using those spaces.
The utilization of Nokisaki.com has been spreading since it was launched in April 2008, indicating that there is growing interest in the use of open but small spaces.
The spaces can be squares in front of office buildings in business districts, spots left vacant in the vicinity of stores during their business holidays or even unused parking spots at ordinary houses that would otherwise be left idle."
FULL STORY: Popular website connects big ideas with small spaces

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie