There are some lively, densely-build up streets or downtown areas near a station in Tokyo. Many of these buildings are becoming old. The purpose of this study is to examine the utility or possibility of the method of rebuilding densely-build up streets, making use of the surplus floor of low-rise buildings -selling it to other rebuilding sites nearby and applying the sales to rebuild the buildings by low-rise scale and densely again to preserve the townscape.

This study investigates the current status and issues of public contribution in urban redevelopment projects with high-rise condominiums in central Tokyo from point of views of population recovery, tax revenue effect and tax expenditure, characteristics of public open space, and so on. The results are as follows from the case studies in Chuo, Chiyoda, and Minato wards decided since 2003: 1) Population and tax revenues of three wards increased. Chuo ward issued municipal bonds for provision of elementary school. 2) High-rise condominiums with urban redevelopment projects are higher than the average sales price of condominiums in Tokyo. 3) Public open spaces of offices and commercial buildings tend to be open-minded design, but those of high-rise condominiums tend to be closed and exclusive design.

Africa is urbanizing faster than the other regions in the world and is projected to become 60 per cent urban by 2050. But from 30 to 70 per cent of urban population in Africa is living in informal settlements, which are developed outside of governmentally controlled urban planning. Now informal settlements are major dynamics of African urbanization. In order to understand the process of informal urban development in Africa, this paper explores the development types of informal settlements, using survey date from Nairobi, Kenya. It examines layout planning, material, plan and use of building, building coverage ratio, plot ratio, housing and land affordability, and characteristics of residents in informal settlements. We found out that informal settlements provide a variety of residential environments.

The purpose of this study is to consider possibilities of building the regional system of management of living environment in order to resolve external diseconomies caused by increases of vacant lots. After the enactment of The Law for Special Measures to Promote Dealing with Vacant Houses, etc., the deterioration of living environment by abandoned lots remains as an imminent issue for shrinking suburbs. To examine possibilities of solutions with activities by neighborhood associations we conducted research in Yato regions of Yokosuka with a questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews to neighborhood associations of the regions. The survey and interviews reveal that some of the neighborhood associations hold social capitals which make possibility of the neighborhood associations to manage living environment in cooperation with owners of vacant lots.

African cities are growing fast but urban planning has been poorly functioning. Urban population has little choice but to find housing in informal settlement, which is developed outside of governmentally controlled urban planning. Now informal settlements are major dynamics of African urbanization. To understand the process of informal urban development in Africa, this study aims to examine the process of land subdivision and housing construction in informal settlements, using survey date from Nairobi, Kenya. We found different development processes by the difference in development types.

This paper examines the evaluation and position in terms of policy of the leasing from the Imperial Household Department of the grounds of Akashi Castle, formerly an imperial estate, for use as a public park. When the Hyogo prefectural assembly was considering the proposed budget for converting the site to a park, voices were raised in opposition to the idea of opening the park to the public. The citizens of Akashi welcomed the opening of the Akashi Castle site, which had been closed to the public as an imperial estate. Local newspapers initially expressed support for the plan to make the site into a public park, but they urged further study of the project. Yasuhei Nagaoka, the park's designer, himself declared that the new park was the foremost in Japan. This work on the park was positioned by Chotaro Seino, the Hyogo prefectural governor, as part of the social policy he aggressively pursued.

The purpose of this paper is to report about "Yokamon-Shotengai", which has performed mobile catering services by a local group of shops in Omuta city. This paper shows what "Yokamon-Shotengai" has done and how it has gone. The long-term purpose of this study is to clarify the effectiveness and issues of mobile catering services by a local group of shops that an activity is seen in a lacal city. As a result,it was found that "Yokamon-Shotengai" had gradually developed its project and its management system by its own efforts.