Japan has led the world in urban innovation, design and planning, successfully combining high population with functionality, cleanliness and low levels of crime. "The Japanese Urban Environment" sets out to explain the reasons for this success, showing how both natural and human-made factors influence urban life. Interdisciplinary, comprehensive and up-to-date, this major new book shows how the physical cityscape of climate, buildings and infrastructure interacts with social and cultural factors to produce a unique environment. Divided into four parts, the volume addresses: the social,...