Abstract
This study analyzed the transformation of suburbs developed in the prewar period in terms of greeness and site scale in a residential quarter. The Nakai area in Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, was examined, and the patterns of the landscape was determined using data based on observations and measuring visible landscape components.
The Nakai area is composed of former suburban residences developed for upper- and middle-class housing on the slope facing south of the valley dissecting the Musashino uplands.
Data regarding on lots were collected with the focus on 794 residences in field surveys conducted in August 1999 and June 2001 for quantitative data processing. The landscape elements examined were:
1) distances from the road to the building and the location of parking spaces;
2) main elements constituting the frontage, plants in the garden, visibility from the road (transparency), color of home frontage, and shape of the lot; and
3) structure height, utilization of buildings, and method of building.
Four types were obtained in cluster analysis: 1) low- and medium-rise residences including those used for both commercial and residential purposes; 2) housing with a parking space in the front; 3) detached houses on large-scale sites with abundant plants; and 4) houses on medium- and small-scale sites.
Currently, city planning focuses on the scenic aspect. This study shows that by examining developed neighborhoods from the viewpoint of geography, planners can note the factors contributing to a pleasant, small-scale residential environment.
