●Research Trends and Results

Block Performance Levels and Resident Awareness inDensely Built-up Areas
KATSUMATA Wataru (Dr.Eng.), Senior Researcher, Urban Development Division, Urban PlanningDepartment
IWAMI Tatsuya, Senior Researcher, Construction Economics Division, Research Center for Land andConstruction Management
MIKI Yasuhiro (Dr.Eng.), Senior Researcher, Residential Environment Planning Division, Housing
Department
NISHIZAWA Shigeki (Dr.Eng.), Senior Researcher, Environment and Equipment Standards Division,
Building Department(Keywords) Densely built-up areas, Zoning Code, block performance, sunlight, daylight, ventilation, resident awareness1. Introduction
The “special method of harmonious rebuilding”
promotes rebuilding case-by-case in land plots in agiven area in accordance with local rules, when theusual building rules are replaced by performanceequality standards through permits and approval by
Designated Administrative Agencies. This method isseen as an effective way of improving disasterprevention performance and living environments inside“anko” zones of densely built-up areas where building
restrictions based on the Zoning Code of the BuildingStandard Law (road connectivity obligation, road slant
plane restrictions, allowable building coverage ratiorestrictions, etc.) are particularly harsh 1). This method
has also been specified as a basic measure forpromoting the improvement of densely built-up areasin the Basic Plan for Housing (National Plan) 2), which
defines the national government’s policy for improving
densely built-up areas.
Thus, in order to study levels of “minimumperformance required at block level” that should besecured in densely built-up areas when drawing up
local rules, we measured block performance levels
achieved in densely built-up areas and surveyed
residents’ awareness. In this paper, we introduce someof the results.
2. Survey results(1) Sunlight 3): Fig. 1 shows the relationship between
the hours of sunlight at the main opening to the livingroom in winter and the level of residents’ satisfaction
with sunlight exposure (1). According to this, more than
50% are “Satisfied + More or less satisfied” with about
6.5 hours, this decreasing to about 3.5 hours when
“Neither” is added.
(2) Daylight 3): Fig. 2 shows the relationship between
vertical plane illuminance at the main opening to theliving room during cloudy weather in winter daytime
and the level of residents’ satisfaction with brightness(1). Here, more than 50% were “Satisfied + More or lesssatisfied” with about 2000Lx, or about 1500Lx when
“Neither” is added. 1500Lx is the level at which minor
visual work is possible indoors for a very short timeusing only natural illuminance coming in through theopening 4).
(3) Ventilation: Fig. 3 shows the relationship between
average wind speed near the main opening to the livingroom in summer and the level of residents’ satisfaction
with ventilation (1). Here, “Satisfied + More or lesssatisfied” failed to reach 40% in any sample day ornight, but if “Neither” is added, the total is more than
50% at around 0.3m/s during the day and around
0.4m/s at night.
3. Future challenges
In future, we plan to study proposals for block
performance standards that should be achieved indensely built-up areas, based on the results of thissurvey. At the same time, we will attempt to develop a“System for simple evaluation of block performance indensely built-up areas” 5).
Note(1) We asked residents to evaluate their satisfaction in fivestages, namely (1) Satisfied, (2) More or less satisfied,(3) Neither, (4) Somewhat dissatisfied, and (5)Dissatisfied.

[Reference]
1)

2)

National Institute for Land and InfrastructureManagement (2007) “Guidebook on Special
Permissions in the Zoning Code under the BuildingStandard Law to Promote Rebuilding in Densely
Built-up Areas”
http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/bcg/siryou/tnn/tnn0368.htm
MLIT (2011) “Basic Plan for Housing (National Plan)”
http://www.mlit.go.jp/jutakukentiku/house/torikumi/jyu

●Research Trends and Results
seikatsu/hyodai.html
Wataru Katsumata, Yasuhiro Miki, Tatsuya Iwami andShigeki Nishizawa (2011) “Research on the evaluationof block performance in densely built-up areas (Part 1)
Performance of sunlight and daylight and feelings ofresidents in typical densely built-up areas” “AIJ FY2011
Annual Meeting (Kanto) Summaries of Papers at
Annual Meeting” F-1, pp.507-508
Wataru Katsumata, Yasuhiro Miki and Norimitsu Ishii(2008) The relationship between the shape andallocation of buildings and the illuminance on their4)

100%

100%

Cumulative sample ratio of satisfaction

Cumulative sample ratio of satisfaction

100%5)

90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%

Cumulative sample ratio of satisfaction

3)

exterior walls by daylighting: Basic study on theperformance standard of daylighting environment inurban building districts (Part 1) “Journal of Architectureand Planning” AIJ Vol.73, No.628, pp.1275-1280“Development of a system of support when making
harmonious rules for rebuilding in densely built-upareas” (Urban Development Division website)
http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/jeg/index.htm

90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%

01234

56

78

Hours of sunlight (hours)
Satisfied + More or less satisfied
Satisfied + More or less satisfied + Neither

Figure 1. Relationship between hours of sunlightat main opening to living room in winter and levelof residents’ satisfaction with sunlight exposure

80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
0.0

0%

0%

90%

01000

2000

3000

4000

Illuminance（Lx）
Satisfied + More or less satisfied
Satisfied + More or less satisfied + Neither

Figure 2. Relationship between verticalplane illuminance at main opening to livingroom during cloudy weather in winterdaytime and level of residents’ satisfaction
with brightness

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.1

Average wind speed (m/s)
Satisfied + More or less satisfied (daytime, 10:00-14:00)
Satisfied + More or less satisfied + Neither (daytime, 10:00-14:00)
Satisfied + More or less satisfied (night time, 18:00-24:00)
Satisfied + More or less satisfied + Neither (night time, 18:00-24:00)

Figure 3. Relationship between average wind speed
near main opening to living room in summer andlevel of residents’ satisfaction with ventilation