Compact city policies:a workable spatial development

model in a changing urban context?

Tadashi MATSUMOTO

Regional Policy for Sustainable Development Division, OECD

Presentation at the Open Days UniversityOctober 12, 2011, Brussels

Introduction• Changing urban context

– Continued urbanisation– Global environmental challenges– Energy price– Economic crisis– Demographic changes

• Green Growth: how to realize economic growth while addressing environmental concerns

“Workable” urban development model?

Objectives

1. understand the concept and today’s urban contexts for compact city

2. understand potential outcomes, particularly in terms of green growth

3. develop indicators4. examine and assess current practices5. present key policy design and governance

strategies

Case studies

• Melbourne, Vancouver, Paris, Toyama and Portland

• All regions explicitly set their compact city goals, but with different urban contexts– Population trend: growing/shrinking– Population size: large/small-medium– Geography

• Some have long policy history, some don’t

Policy assessment: key results

• Packaging complimentary policies– Counteract traffic congestion– Ensure housing affordability– High-quality urban design / public realm investment– Encourage green buildings

• Reflecting local context• Diversifying policy instruments

– use of price machanism coupled with regulations

Strategies with diverse instruments• Develop national urban policy framework• Encourage metropolitan-wide planning

1. Set explicit compact city goals

• Increase flexibility of regulatory tools• Promote eco-neighbourhoods at right location• Synchronise urban, rural and industrial land use policies

2. Encourage dense & contiguous

development at urban fringes

• Promote brown-field development• Regenerate existing residential areas• Establish the link between development and mass-transit• Encourage “intensification”

3. Retrofit existing built-up areas

• Promote mixed land use• Attract facilities to create liveability• Promote walking and cycling

4. Enhance diversity & quality of life in urban

centres

• Counter traffic congestion• Encourage affordable housing provision• Promote good urban design and public realm investment• Encourage green buildings

5. Combine tools to minimise adverse

effects

Improving metropolitan governance

• A region-wide, integrated, long-term vision• A clear articulation of the roles and

responsibilities of all key actors and stakeholders

• Vertical and horizontal coordination – networked governance arrangements

• Accountability, transparency and reporting

Case study: Toyama, Japan

•Population: 0.4 million (City), 1.1 million (prefecture)

•Reached the peak in 2005 and expected to decrease by 20% by 2040•Ageing: by 2035, one out of three are expected to be over 65

Urban expansion trend in Toyama

Population changes in Toyama City (past 30 years)

Challenge in public service deliveryAdministrative cost in low-density urban areas

Estimated average costs per resident

Relationship curve for population density and maintenance/update fees required for per resident

Benefits and costs are balanced about 40 persons/ha.

Source: "Toyama City Compact Urban Development Investigative Research Report"

Access to service is linked with density

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000

Population density (persons/sq.Km.)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

% d

wel

ings

witn

in 5

00m

Distance to the nearest medical facilities

Aichi

Gifu

Nagoya

y=6E- 05x+0.3745R2=0.5533

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000

Population density (persons/sq.Km.)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

% d

wel

ings

witn

in 5

00m

Distance to the nearest station

Aichi

Gifu

Nagoya

y=3E- 05x+0.1201R2=0.3898

Distance to the nearest medical facilities

Source: Kaido and Kwon (2008)

Compact City model in Toyama

YatsuoOsawano

Hosoiri

Oyama

Shinjo

Minamitoyama

Iwase

Kureha

Mizuhashi

Fuchu

Toyama

Yamada

Railway/streetcar/bus service

Railway service

Bus service

Wide-area hub

Local hub

Legend

• Renovation of public transportation to reduce auto-dependency

• Incentives to concentrate activities in the target areas