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
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