interesting article about Chiba New Town

[miyakoji]

This is an interesting article about a planned development in Chiba-ken.  There are other developments like this, namely Tama in western Tokyo-to and Kohoku in Kanagawa-ken, but apparently those two have been much more successful.  Has anyone been out here?  I've stayed in some of the small communities in Chiba that serve as commuter towns for Tokyo, I liked them, but they were not large, planned neighborhoods like this.

 

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/05/how-tos/the-aging-issue-of-chiba-new-town/

 

Hokuso Line, which serves the area: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokus%C5%8D_Line

[Mudkip Orange]

Decent case study in how easy it is for a master-planned community to fall apart. For instance, you can't buy a house next to the train station, because that's reserved for commercial, but there's lower demand for houses further out that (that require a bus trip), hence the overall residential population is lower, hence the commercial never materializes.

[cteno4]

ugh, what a mess. sounds like no one in UR wants to admit the concept was a failure as planned and be willing to be creative and dance with what is now there and where to go.

 

jeff

[bikkuri bahn]

Been there. It looked and felt like a typical American car-oriented 'burb.  Nuff said.

[Kabutoni]

New town development failures? Chiba has a history of that...

 

[nartak]

There was some hope for prosperity but finally turned out with a failure....
During the "Bubble" period around like late 80's to early 90's, Chiba new town area also valued a lot.  It is kind of legend that a condo located a walking distance from Shiroi station on Hokuso line once worthed 100 milliion Yen or whatever.