relevant to the architecture student. Three examples are
given here from the author’s sketchbook. The first
concerns the relationship between transport systems and
urban design using Tokyo as an example, based upon a
study visit with Edinburgh students in 2005. The metro
system in Tokyo has shaped the profile of the city above
ground. Where stations are located there is a greater
intensity of buildings of various kinds from offices to
hotels and apartment blocks. As a result the city achieves
the kind of mixed use, pedestrian friendly compaction
advocated by architects such as Lord Rogers. This type of
intensity of commercial and cultural life leads to other
changes to the city fabric. Parks become enclosed and
cherished for the tranquillity they provide, railway stations
become interchanges connecting different transport
modes together, and streets become places mainly for
people rather than cars. Using the sketchbook, the world
below and above ground can be superimposed, the
mixture of land-uses analysed and street life described –
leading to a better understanding of sustainable practice
in Japanese cities.
18.5 a, b, c and d
These sketches show various methods of dealing with environmental control using
architectural means rather than air-conditioning. The fins, louvers, balconies and
overhangs protect the buildings from the midday sun whilst also encouraging cross-
ventilation. These houses are in southern Portugal and date from 1930–60.18.6
Sketch showing the relationship between development above and below ground in
Tokyo. Public transport is an essential element of sustainable development.Sustainability 157