Teka Kom. Arch. Urb. Stud. Krajobr. – OL PAN, 2012, VIII/1, 75-92 ELEMENTS OF THE UBRANSCAPE IN TOKYO Ewa Maria Kido CTI Engineering Co., Ltd. Consulting Engineers, 2-15-1 Nihonbashi Ningyocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan e-mail:
[email protected] Abstract. Tokyo Metropolis (Tōkyō-to) of 13 mln people, crowded, colored, noisy, made of very freely designed buildings, with railway loop line separating the inner center from the outer center – from one side is similar to other large metropolises in Japan, and from another – being a capitol and having the Imperial Palace as its symbolical center, is unique. This article discusses elements of urbanscape, such as transportation infrastructure – roads and railways; junctions and city centers – neighborhoods; urban interiors – streets and squares; border lines and belts – rivers, parks; do- minant urban structures, outstanding elements – landmarks, and characteristic sights, that contrib- ute to aesthetic appeal of the landscape of Tokyo. The conclusion is that although both European cities and Tokyo have well-functioning centers, as well as sub-centers of the polycentric metropo- lises, their forms are differing because they reflect local urban planning, aesthetics, and culture. Key words: urbanscape, urban planning, Tokyo, elements of urbanscape, urban landscape INTRODUCTION Urban landscape is a combination of a city’s form and contents that includes natural and built environment. As an outcome of urban and landscape design, it involves arrangement and functioning of cities, with particular focus on architec- ture, infrastructure and green zones. Design of urban space has become increas- ingly important for the long-term development and well-being of urban commu- nities, and can provide cities with a unique identity.