Emergent Tokyo, Designing the Spontaneous City

by Jorge Amazon and studiolab

This book explores Tokyo’s urban fabric, highlighting permeable, inclusive, and adaptive patterns that emerged organically. It examines five prominent patterns: yokochō alleyways, zakkyo buildings, undertrack infills, dense neighborhoods, and ankyo streets. Unlike cultural-focused discussions, it offers empirical analysis for transcultural validity. The authors avoid essentializing or fetishizing Tokyo, providing valuable insights for visitors, architects, and urban policy practitioners.