The Japanese urban alleyway, which was once part of people's personal spatial sphere and everyday life has been transformed by diverse and competing interests. Marginalised through the emergence of new forms of housing and public spaces, re-appropriated by different fields, and re-invented by the contemporary urban design discourse, the social meaning attached to the roji is being re-interpreted by individuals, subcultures and new social movements. The book will introduce and discuss examples of urban practices which take place within the dynamic urban landscape of contemporary Tokyo to portray the life cycle of an urban form being rediscovered, commodified and lost as physical space.

About the Author

Heide Imai is Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of Global Interdisciplinary Studies (GIS) at Hosei University and Research Associate at Keio University, Tokyo, Japan. Licensed as an architect, her research, teaching and practice focus is urban resistance, resilience and the future of vernacular landscapes in global cities.

Reviews

"Heide Imai evokes the subtle complexity of Tokyo's traditional back streets in a way that resonates with all cities struggling to be simultaneously local, global, and modern. This book is tremendously useful for shaping a deeper understanding of, and better tools for, historic preservation and community planning in Asia and throughout the world."

Sharon Zukin, author, Naked City: The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Places

'By emphasizing on the importance of the sense of place and the ordinariness, this book takes the readers to the roji of contemporary Tokyo. Using multiple insightful urban narratives, Heide Imai skilfully unfolds the various facets of neighbourhoods of these hidden urban spaces.'

Davisi Boontharm, International Program of Architecture and Urban Design, Meiji University, Japan

Book Information
ISBN 9780367140991
Author Heide Imai
Format Paperback
Page Count 196
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g