This area of Tokyo was home to Geisha girls during World War II and has since fallen into neglect as a light industrial district. This master plan anticipates the gradual transformation of this predominately light industrial area into a vibrant high-density mixed-use community, similar in density to Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center.

One main challenge of developing this district was formulating consensus among over two hundred individual landowners affected by the master plan. By providing guidelines for the growth and development of the district within the existing urban framework of the city, the plan calls for a new form of urban development for Tokyo.The development combines the density and amenities of the contemporary city with the desirable characteristics of the traditional city.

The master plan creates a clearly recognizable “village” within the city, continuously roused by residents, office workers and visitors day and night, every day of the week. The master plan reinforces a mixed-use of the district, including a well-defined block structure, a continuous south facing garden promenade and consistent street wall definition. Pedestrian walks, mid-block gardens, and limited height zones create a humane, well scaled physical environment and allow for greater interaction between the people who live and work throughout Gotanda’s urban environment