The JAPAN Foundation, Toronto

June 4, 2014

Revitalization of Public Housing
Challenges and Celebrations
in Toronto and Japan

Sayaka Fujii
Visiting Professor, University of Toronto
Associate Professor, University of Tsukuba, JAPANRegent Park Revitalization• Critics– Anxiety and frustration over the relocation– Dislocation and loss on community network– Lack of residents’ voices in planning process– Social mix does not work

• Celebrations– Residents’ participation– New community facilities and service– Access to new facilities and opportunities– Improved the image of neighborhood

Regent Park Revitalization• Two questions
How we can improve thecommunication withresidents in planning
process?

How we can enhancecommunication between
new and existing residents
to make social mix works?

Overview of Public Housing in Japan• Housing condition after the second world war– 4.2 million housing units were lost,that was one fifths of all housing units across the country• 3 methods of post war housing policy– Japan Government Housing Loan Corporation in 1950
– Public Housing Act in 1951.
– Foundation of the Japan Housing Corporation (JHC) in 1955

• Goals of housing policy– 1950‐70 Elimination of Housing shortage– 1970‐90 from Quantity to Quality– 1990‐present Market‐oriented Approach & Stock Utilization

Overview of Public Housing in JapanOthersCompany housing 2.8% 2.7%
Market rental housing
27.5%

Public housing
for middle‐income

Owner occupiedhousing
60.4%

1.9%
4.3%

Public housing
for low‐income
Source: Housing and estates survey in 2008, Japan Statistical Yearbook 2014
Statistical Survey Department, Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

Overview of Public Housing in Japan“KODAN” housing“KO” means publicin Japanese• National Public Housing Corporation• Urban Renaissance Agency (URA)• For middle‐income

760,000 units“KOSHA” housing• 57 Municipal housing corporations• For middle‐income“KOEI” housing• Municipalities• For low‐income• 1700 cities and 47 prefectures= less than 1,500 per city

2,190,000 units

135,000 units

Source: Housing stock and safety net, 2008, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transit and Tourism

URA’s Challenge of Revitalization• Background of revitalization
1. Aging and shrinking population
2. Long term recession and lack of public financial
resources
3. Risk of huge earthquakes
4. Reform of the national housing corporation• URA must decrease a number of housing stock• URA must utilize housing stock• URA must decrease a number of vacancies• URA must meet needs of the elderly

URA’s Challenge of Revitalization• Planning Rational of revitalization– To decrease a large number of vacancies– To fix dilapidated structures and obsolescent facilities– To reinforce building structures against the bigearthquakes– To offer barrier‐free environment for the elderly– To create care bases for the elderly– To create generation and income mixed communities– To provide family friendly environment for newresidents

URA’s Challenge of Revitalization• Revitalization projects
TypeTo create care bases for theelderly in 100 estates by 2020

Estate redevelopment

No. of units To be Completedby 2018
160 000
80 000Total redevelopment

40 00040 000Partial redevelopment and renovation

40 000

20 000Downsize and demolition

80 000

20 000Stock utilization

570 000‐‐‐Conversion

10 000

10 000Ownership transfer

30 000

20 000Revitalization of Tama‐daira, Tokyo

Source: http://codan.boy.jp/danchi/tama/tamadaira/index.html

Revitalization of Tama‐daira, Tokyo• 1980s: Study on revitalization
Negotiation with the Hino city
• 1996: Amendment of zoning and district planCommunication with residents started• 1997: Phase 1 started• 2002: Return of Phase 1 residents
Phase 2 started• 2004: Reorganization of URA
Return of Phase 2 residents• 2005: Phase 3 started• 2007: Return of Phase 3 residents• 2010: Pilot project started• 2011: Opening of the Pilot projectRevitalization of Tama‐daira, Tokyo• 29.6 ha (73 acre)• 2,792 units• 1‐4 story buildings
Phase 1
Phase 2Phase 3
■ Mid‐rise■ Row house■ Shop house
Source: Presentation material by Urban Renaissance Agency

Revitalization of Tama‐daira, Tokyo• 18ha (45a) + 11.6ha (29a)• 1,528 units + 2,200 new units• 6‐13 story buildings
Privateredevelopment
low‐mid rise
Pilot project
Privateredevelopment
high rise

URA
Revitalization

Shopping mallBase map Source: Hino city http://www.city.hino.lg.jp/index.cfm/196,103152,351,2036,html

Revitalization of Tama‐daira, Tokyo
BeforeAfter

Total area

29.6 ha (73 acre)

18ha (45a) Public housing+ 11.6ha (29a) Land sold

Housing units

2,792 public housing

1,528 public housing+ 162 low‐income p.h.
+ over 2,000 units ofcondominiums,
detached housing etc

Building height

1‐3 story

6‐13 story

Floor area ratio

31 % to 55 %105% in URA area
200+% in others

Unit size

26‐63 m2
280‐680 ft2

35‐84 m2
375‐900 ft2

Rent (2bedroom)

390ft2 (36m2)
C$390 (¥41,000)

540ft2 (50m2)
Over C$950 (¥100,000)

Communication with residents
Participation

Residents

Selection

3 member meeting

118 meetings
as of 2012!

Resident Workshop

the representativeof neighborhood
association

Housing &Facilities

URA

Explanation

Hireconsultants

URA Proposal

Green &Open space

Proposal

Explanation

Revised PlanHino CityApproval

Final Plan

Housing & Facilities WS• Housing unit designing workshop process
1. Sharing memories and favorite places
2. Developing common understanding of good (should bepreserved) and bad (should be renewed) features
3. Designing new housing units
4. Open house of model units based on WS outputs• Unit design outputs– 8 housing unit designs in the former estate– 43 housing unit designs were realized in revitalization• Community facilities outputs– Location and function of community centers werediscussed and realized in revitalization

Green & open spaces WS• Tamadaira forest was a great asset of this estate• Green workshop process
1.
2.
3.
4.

Studying types of trees in the forest
Learning how to maintain these forest
Designing facilities such as path and picnic area
Maintaining the forest after revitalization

Tree preservation outputs•–

Symbol trees and street trees were preserved and taken into
the landspace design of revitalization

Community garden outputs•––

Residents are taking responsibilities of community gardens
Community gardens are great meeting places for both new andformer residentsCommunication with residents

Public hospitalSocial service &medical fac.

Pilot projectGreen &Open spaces
Housing types& Relocation
Communitycentre

Base map Source: Hino city http://www.city.hino.lg.jp/index.cfm/196,103152,351,2036,html

Pilot project

Pilot project
Sourcehttp://www.ur‐net.go.jp/rebuild/rn2/gaiyou/: Presentation material by Urban Renaissance Agency
Source: URA http://www.ur‐net.go.jp/rebuild/rn2/gaiyou/

Shared Housing and Housing ｗith Garden Senior Housing andStudent Housing
Nursing HomeProjects

Share & student housing

Housing with garden

Senior and nursing homeBuildings

2 buildings

1 building

2 buildings

Before56 units

24 units

64 units

Use afterprojects

142 rooms
Common lounge,
showers and washingmachines

24 units
Rental farms
Garden with a cabin

32 senior units
31 community units
9 Multifunctional nursing units

Couples
Young family
Seniors
Source: URA http://www.ur‐net.go.jp/rebuild/rn2/gaiyou/

Targeted
residents

Young workers
Students

Seniors
Both singles and couples

Pilot project: Shared housing

Source: URA http://www.ur‐net.go.jp/rebuild/rn2/gaiyou/

http://www.ur‐net.go.jp/rebuild/rn2/riento/Pilot project: Housing with garden

Source: URA http://www.ur‐net.go.jp/rebuild/rn2/aura243/

Pilot project: Senior housing

Source: URA http://www.ur‐net.go.jp/rebuild/rn2/yui/Pilot project: Communication Design
Pilot project•

Public housing• Greeting cards
Invitation to Open house• Reply to greeting cards• Invitation to Summer festival

Neighborhood
association

Communication
promoters

Support

URA

SupportChallenges and Celebrations inToronto & Japan• We can improve the communication with residents
in planning process;– Identify the residents’ assets and utilize them
– Ensure residents’ understanding of planning process– Invite residents in decision making process• We can enhance communication between new andexisting residents to make social mix works;– Provide natural meeting places– Provide spaces where people can work together– Invite “Communication promoters”

Links• Statistical Survey Department, Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal
Affairs and Communications– Ch18 Housing and estates, Japan Statistical Yearbook 2014 (in English)
http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/1431‐18e.htm• Urban Renaissance Agency–––•

Hino city–•Profile of URA (in English)
http://www.ur‐net.go.jp/sitemap/english.html#sitemap02
Revitalization projects of URA (in Japanese)
http://www.ur‐net.go.jp/rebuild/
Tama‐daira project (in Japanese)
http://www.ur‐net.go.jp/rebuild/rn2/gaiyou/
Planning in Tama‐daira (in Japanese)
http://www.city.hino.lg.jp/index.cfm/196,103152,351,2036,html

Tama‐daira was awarded the silver medal of the Environmentally
Sustainable Project Awards of the International Awards for Livable
Communities (the LivCom Awards） in 2008–

Tama‐daira project (in English)
http://www.ur‐net.go.jp/urbandesign/awards_pdf/liv_2.pdf