I guess when I try and envision the American version of this, I see strip malls. So my first question is, are these businesses chain stores or small businesses? If the latter, how was that developed? Who owns the buildings? Are they renting it? If so, do they have freedom in their design aesthetic? (I’m thinking of the lack of creativity with strip malls)
Great questions and observation! Yes! I think strip mall is the natural result when pedestrian streets transform to car-based streets. I need a good way to represent this because it seems unbelievable but when we insert the car as a standard, every thing is required to get bigger, lots, buildings, streets, businesses. Spaces between people and where they want to go quickly become too far to walk.
As for small businesses, yes, I can say that at least 95% of the shops in this neighborhood are independent small businesses. Probably more than that. As for how it happens, there is a cocktail of stuff going on that allowed that to happen, but I think one thing that maintains it, is the smallness. Small buildings, if they are the widespread standard, are affordable (eg: you can fit about 10 Japanese buildings in the space of a suburban American house). Small buildings hold less people. Fine for a small business, but a chain store could hardly make enough profit to survive because their overhead is so big. Small buildings also seem to breed diversity. That is, if you have 120 people who want to eat out in a neighborhood, you might fulfill that with a big restaurant that can serve 120 people. But if your building stock can only hold 10 people, then suddenly you need 12 independent shops to meet the same demand, which makes for a super diverse restaurant scene.
The questions about ownership and creative freedom are complex and interesting, and I'll keep those in my notes to get to later in this series!
Wow, that’s really interesting! Is it fair to say these hoods were developed before cars came on scene? Also, this reminds me of something I heard about how architecture changed aesthetically to meet the viewer’s experience. When people walked more, there was a lot of details used (sculptural details,etc) but in a car society, buildings are designed more for quick impact aesthetics that can be seen on the fly. But anyway, PATRICK…you’ve sold me on less cars…but how would we make it happen here?!
You have me wondering (as a French living in Fukuoka) just how many cars there must be in the US. Here I often get annoyed by the fact that there are actually too many cars (and so often people are alone in them), or that the space alloted to pedestrians is too small / non existent. I live in Hakata-ku here, which has the particularity to be quite varied, so there are part of it like you've described and there's also the in-between, possibly a cross or transformation towards something more "car oriented" (which I associate with the US even though I've only been there once). Where I agree with you is that I can feel the space around me isn't made for so many cars (in fact the infrastructure make it seem like a lot), and yes infrastructures/houses are tiny ! I have just read your first post so I'll keep on reading the rest, of course !
Thanks for the thoughtful comment and report from Hakata! The type of neighborhood that this series is based on is a particular kind that is found in the large urban areas. I guess we could call it a "classic Showa era" neighborhood? Osaka has a lot of them, and definitely Hakata has some too. Many of these neighborhoods continue to be renewed without changing the character much, but in some cities they are just being destroyed for high rises and parking lots.
I also notice what you point out. Especially in the countryside and smaller cities, new development is using a car-based infrastructure, and it follows the old U.S. model of suburbanism. Highways, too-wide avenues, incomplete pedestrian access, big shopping malls in the middle of farmland. Not smart development IMO, but it is happening.
As I write this series, part of the goal however, is to point out the best cases, and amplify what works well, in order to help us realize the value in these places. Glad you are reading these, and if you find some places/ideas from Hakata that feel really good to you, do let me know!
Thank you for your reply, and sorry to have diverted from the main concern of your series with my comment ! Re-reading you, I get the nuance between talking about a typical neighborhood (which of course, “Showa era” neighborhoods are for sure) and saying that it’s all like that, which you didn’t. I’m sorry, even more so because I think it’s a great idea to talk about what works well in cities, for many obvious reasons.
Osaka and Tokyo have definitely way more areas like this than Fukuoka, at least as far as I know, but whenever there is a non-touristy shoutengai, or wherever people can truly live (as opposed to just sleep) it has the potential to feel that way ! I go to a pottery studio not far from JR Minami station, and the area there is like that for me. It’s very quaint, the right amount of lively and a good mix between shops that have been there for a long time, and new gigs, without gentrifying the place. Despite the abundance of vegetable/fruit shops they all seem to be doing well. They’ve been doing works on creating new exits for the nearby Nishitetsu line (it’s very well connected isn’t it?), but word has it that when it’s done there’ll be a park too, which would be perfect. My teacher has had the studio for the last 20 years, and she was working there before so she knows the area, and its evolution well.
No need to apologize Melanie! I thought your question was respectful and interesting to think about. Also, wow, JR Minami in Fukuoka? I've been there last year with my wife and father in law. Cool low-key area. Didn't know there was a pottery studio there, but if so I'll have to check it out next time :-)
I guess when I try and envision the American version of this, I see strip malls. So my first question is, are these businesses chain stores or small businesses? If the latter, how was that developed? Who owns the buildings? Are they renting it? If so, do they have freedom in their design aesthetic? (I’m thinking of the lack of creativity with strip malls)
Great questions and observation! Yes! I think strip mall is the natural result when pedestrian streets transform to car-based streets. I need a good way to represent this because it seems unbelievable but when we insert the car as a standard, every thing is required to get bigger, lots, buildings, streets, businesses. Spaces between people and where they want to go quickly become too far to walk.
As for small businesses, yes, I can say that at least 95% of the shops in this neighborhood are independent small businesses. Probably more than that. As for how it happens, there is a cocktail of stuff going on that allowed that to happen, but I think one thing that maintains it, is the smallness. Small buildings, if they are the widespread standard, are affordable (eg: you can fit about 10 Japanese buildings in the space of a suburban American house). Small buildings hold less people. Fine for a small business, but a chain store could hardly make enough profit to survive because their overhead is so big. Small buildings also seem to breed diversity. That is, if you have 120 people who want to eat out in a neighborhood, you might fulfill that with a big restaurant that can serve 120 people. But if your building stock can only hold 10 people, then suddenly you need 12 independent shops to meet the same demand, which makes for a super diverse restaurant scene.
The questions about ownership and creative freedom are complex and interesting, and I'll keep those in my notes to get to later in this series!
Wow, that’s really interesting! Is it fair to say these hoods were developed before cars came on scene? Also, this reminds me of something I heard about how architecture changed aesthetically to meet the viewer’s experience. When people walked more, there was a lot of details used (sculptural details,etc) but in a car society, buildings are designed more for quick impact aesthetics that can be seen on the fly. But anyway, PATRICK…you’ve sold me on less cars…but how would we make it happen here?!
You have me wondering (as a French living in Fukuoka) just how many cars there must be in the US. Here I often get annoyed by the fact that there are actually too many cars (and so often people are alone in them), or that the space alloted to pedestrians is too small / non existent. I live in Hakata-ku here, which has the particularity to be quite varied, so there are part of it like you've described and there's also the in-between, possibly a cross or transformation towards something more "car oriented" (which I associate with the US even though I've only been there once). Where I agree with you is that I can feel the space around me isn't made for so many cars (in fact the infrastructure make it seem like a lot), and yes infrastructures/houses are tiny ! I have just read your first post so I'll keep on reading the rest, of course !
Thanks for the thoughtful comment and report from Hakata! The type of neighborhood that this series is based on is a particular kind that is found in the large urban areas. I guess we could call it a "classic Showa era" neighborhood? Osaka has a lot of them, and definitely Hakata has some too. Many of these neighborhoods continue to be renewed without changing the character much, but in some cities they are just being destroyed for high rises and parking lots.
I also notice what you point out. Especially in the countryside and smaller cities, new development is using a car-based infrastructure, and it follows the old U.S. model of suburbanism. Highways, too-wide avenues, incomplete pedestrian access, big shopping malls in the middle of farmland. Not smart development IMO, but it is happening.
As I write this series, part of the goal however, is to point out the best cases, and amplify what works well, in order to help us realize the value in these places. Glad you are reading these, and if you find some places/ideas from Hakata that feel really good to you, do let me know!
Thank you for your reply, and sorry to have diverted from the main concern of your series with my comment ! Re-reading you, I get the nuance between talking about a typical neighborhood (which of course, “Showa era” neighborhoods are for sure) and saying that it’s all like that, which you didn’t. I’m sorry, even more so because I think it’s a great idea to talk about what works well in cities, for many obvious reasons.
Osaka and Tokyo have definitely way more areas like this than Fukuoka, at least as far as I know, but whenever there is a non-touristy shoutengai, or wherever people can truly live (as opposed to just sleep) it has the potential to feel that way ! I go to a pottery studio not far from JR Minami station, and the area there is like that for me. It’s very quaint, the right amount of lively and a good mix between shops that have been there for a long time, and new gigs, without gentrifying the place. Despite the abundance of vegetable/fruit shops they all seem to be doing well. They’ve been doing works on creating new exits for the nearby Nishitetsu line (it’s very well connected isn’t it?), but word has it that when it’s done there’ll be a park too, which would be perfect. My teacher has had the studio for the last 20 years, and she was working there before so she knows the area, and its evolution well.
No need to apologize Melanie! I thought your question was respectful and interesting to think about. Also, wow, JR Minami in Fukuoka? I've been there last year with my wife and father in law. Cool low-key area. Didn't know there was a pottery studio there, but if so I'll have to check it out next time :-)