Related to the urban sprawl, preparation of housing sites started on the outskirts of Tokyo by applying the Readjustment of Arable Land Act (revised in 1909). 160 cooperatives were formed between 1901 and 1932 covering the area of 8,711 ha. The Tokyo Prefectural Government helped them by arranging subsidies and allotting officials. The act had much advantage to landowners than the City Planning Act (1919); subsidies, financing and tacit consent to turn farmland into residential lot keeping its land value low. The government, without overall road planning then, had no way but to help those activities to develop any area at all.
