A talk by SAYAKA FUJII Visiting Professor, Department of Human Geography, University of Toronto, Scarborough;

Division of Policy and Planning Sciences, University of Tsukuba

DEPT. OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY & CITY STUDIESTHURSDAY, OCT. 31, 2–4PM, MW324

Challenge of Reform and Renovation Projects of Public Housing in Japan: And What Can Be Learned from Toronto’s Experience?

The Japanese government has engaged issues of public housing

and community development in multiple ways since the end of World War II. Japan faced a significant

shortage of housing in metropolitan areas during the post war period. The Japan Housing Corporation (JHC),

a nation-wide public housing and urban development corporation, was established in 1954 to cope with the

housing shortage. From the 1950s to the 1980s, JHC made significant contributions to providing affordable

housing in urban areas. The corporation also played an important role in popularizing new multi-unit housing

models as it built many mid- and high-rise apartment buildings that had not been common in Japan before

the war. The housing estates constructed by JHC are widely known as “Danchi” in Japanese. Unlike public

housing in western countries, living in Danchi public housing was a dream of middle income commuters at that

time. There are approximately 750,000 dwellings and 1,800 Danchi all over Japan. Many housing structures

are dilapidated, with obsolescent facilities, so reform and renovation projects are needed in Danchi estates.

The Urban Renaissance Agency (URA), which is the new agency established after several successors of JHC, is

now working on its stock utilization plan. The URA has conducted several interesting renovation experiments

as pilot projects in Danchi. This presentation introduces some of their projects and shows why Toronto’s

experience of public housing renovation projects such as the Regent Park are interesting for Japan.