Speaker
Description
A diverse housing supply is widely recognized as a crucial mechanism for mitigating socioeconomic segregation by allowing different income groups to coexist within the same urban fabric. However, most existing research has focused on cities where housing typologies are spatially clustered, reinforcing patterns of residential segregation (Glaeser and Gyourko 2018, Tiebout 1956). Less attention has been given to cities characterized by highly heterogeneous housing stock at the micro-scale, where various housing types and price levels coexist within small urban units. This study examines Tokyo, one of the least segregated among major metropolises (Hoshino, 2011; OECD, 2021), to explore how its unique housing supply system contributes to maintaining low levels of residential segregation. Additionally, it evaluates whether current development trends threaten the long-term sustainability of this inclusive model.
This paper investigates the interaction between residential segregation level and housing supply diversity, as experienced by distinct types of households given their housing needs and the existing housing stock in different areas. We calculate and compare the place-based residence income segregation indexes for different types of households, and the Simpson diversity indexes of different housing prices and sizes at 1km grid scale. Furthermore, we analyze the potential changes given the current housing market trends by identifying the percentage of affordable homes for prospective or transferring households within different areas of Tokyo.
Our findings indicate that the diversity of housing price and size plays a significant role in Tokyo’s low residential segregation level. The highly heterogeneous housing stock resulting from the gradual small-scale redevelopments in Tokyo plays a critical role in shaping the city’s low social segregation. However, this model comes with trade-offs. While it fosters social integration, it also presents challenges in terms of housing quality, size, and rental stability, particularly in central areas of the city. Moreover, our analysis reveals a growing mismatch between housing demand and supply, particularly for nuclear households, who face increasing difficulty in securing affordable and adequately sized homes across the city. This trend raises concerns about the sustainability of Tokyo’s current housing model in ensuring long-term social inclusion.
This study contributes to discussions on housing affordability, residential segregation, and social sustainability. It offers valuable insights into how diverse housing supply systems influence socio-spatial dynamics in Asian cities.
References
Glaeser, E.L. and Gyourko, J. (2018) The Economic Implications of Housing Supply, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 32 (1), pp. 3-30.
Hoshino, T. (2011). Estimation and Analysis of Preference Heterogeneity in Residential Choice Behaviour, Urban Studies, 48(2), pp. 363-382.
OECD (2021) Building for a better tomorrow: Policies to make housing more affordable, Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Policy Briefs, OECD, Paris. Available at: http://oe.cd/affordable-housing-2021.
Tiebout, C. M. (1956) A pure theory of local expenditures. Journal of political economy, 64(5), pp. 416-424.
| Keywords | residential segregation; Housing diversity; affordability; compact city, |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
