I had heard stories about this the last time I visited Japan in 2004, but this month's Tokyo city briefing from <i>The Economist </i> brought this trend back to my attention. It seems retiring boomers are abandoning their suburban bedroom communities to return to the metropolitan core - presumably to be near friends, cultural attractions, and other amenities (health care? education?). I've seen rumblings of this as well in the New York metro area.
I had heard stories about this the last time I visited Japan in 2004, but this month's Tokyo city briefing from The Economist brought this trend back to my attention. It seems retiring boomers are abandoning their suburban bedroom communities to return to the metropolitan core - presumably to be near friends, cultural attractions, and other amenities (health care? education?). I've seen rumblings of this as well in the New York metro area.
Tokyo's population is swelling at a rate last experienced in the boom of the early 1960s. Tokyo's population grew by over 90,000 in 2006, a result of economic migration from provincial Japan, according to the Land Ministry. As rural populations head for the cities, and the economic gap widens between the urban rich and the rural poor, some 2,600 villages across the country may face extinction. Hokkaido and Nagasaki have suffered most from this polarising trend, say demographers and economists. But the sharp increase in Tokyo's population is also related to the so-called "2007 effect": the mass retirement of baby boomers. Many couples in their 60s who spent their working lives in the suburbs are moving into central Tokyo to be closer to the bright lights.
Is this something people are seeing in other regions more broadly, or this strictly a global city phenomenon?
Research: Gentrification Follows Falling Crime
It isn't exactly a surprising correlation: gentrification and decreases in crime. This research finds that falling crime often precedes gentrification, not the other way around.
'Gentrification' Redux: Wealth, Opportunity, Community
Ben Brown wades into the wealth/income inequity morass to make a pitch for getting beyond "gentrification" squabbles and on to wealth-building strategies for the bottom 90 percent.
Gentrification, Shmentrification
Despite media commentary about urban gentrification and the decline of suburbia, suburbs still have far less than a proportionate share of regional poverty.
The Hyperloop’s Prospects Dim
The media is coming around to the idea that the hyperloop is not a near-term solution for the country’s transportation woes. It’s too little, too obvious, too late.
The Great American Exodus: A Conservative's Perspective
During his keynote speech on September 11 at the National Conservatism Conference in Miami, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis describes the demographic shifts in America since he became governor in 2019 in what he calls the 'Great American Exodus.'
Disneyland Is Too Crowded. Is More Capacity Needed?
Disneyland has a plan to create more supply to meet contemporary demand, a strategy reminiscent of contemporary debates surrounding housing and transportation.
Jaywalking Decriminalized in California
Another day, another historic planning-related bill signed into law in the Golden State.
Smart Growth Plan Hopes to Rein in Sprawl in Walla Walla
The Washington city reformed its zoning code to support more multifamily development and a diversity of housing types to meet the needs of its growing population.
The Resilience of Bikeshare
The inherent simplicity of bikes makes shared mobility systems a crucial transportation option during natural disasters.
University of Florida
Town of Mills River
City of Modesto
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Smart City Expo World Congress
California High Speed Rail Authority
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City of Crystal River
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.
