The island nation's housing market faces a discrepancy between existing stock and rapidly changing demographics.

A Brookings Institution report by Jiro Yoshida on Japan's rental housing market reveals "a mismatch between housing stock and demographics in a rapidly aging and shrinking society, exemplified by vacant housing units." The country's unique geography and post-war economy have created a market "characterized by a large construction volume, rapid technological progress, fast depreciation of housing value, a thin secondary market, and low maintenance of existing properties."
The combination of scarce habitable land, "frequent and significant earthquakes," and "a rapid change in housing stock, demographics, and lifestyle after WWII" led to a "significant housing shortage in urban areas, especially during the 1950s and 1960s, alleviated in part by active public sector investments," Yoshida writes. "After the housing shortage was resolved, the government enacted the Basic Act for Housing in 2006 by focusing on housing quality issues such as elderly persons’ housing, low carbon emissions, and condominium management."
Other takeaways:
-
"In 2020, approximately 60% of Japan’s newly constructed units were owner-occupied houses and condominiums, and the remaining 40% were rental units," but "rental units account for only 19% of the total floor area."
-
"Young households tend to live in private rental housing. Among heads of households younger than 30 years old, 82% live in private rental housing, and only 9% own houses."
"The biggest challenge," says Yoshida, "is managing the housing stock in an aging and shrinking society."
FULL STORY: Land scarcity, high construction volume, and distinctive leases characterize Japan’s rental housing markets

Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.

San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.

U.S. Rental Market Crosses a New Threshold of Affordability
In a first for the country's rental market, most U.S. apartments are asking for more than $2,000 to rent, according to data recently published by Redfin.

Supreme Court Guts the U.S. EPA’s Ability to Limit Carbon Emissions
The consequences of this ruling have long been foretold. With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now officially barred from the fight against climate change, Congress will have to act to reduce carbon emissions.

California Approves Revised Los Angeles Housing Element
State officials officially approved the city’s housing plan, which was initially rejected for not doing enough to enhance housing equity.

Lawsuit Could Open Public Access to Colorado Rivers
Colorado is one of few U.S. states that has decided that private property owners supersede the public when it comes to access to rivers and streams.
Town of San Anselmo
Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA)
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.