Sources:
1) The mega-city in Latin America, by Alan Gilbert
Article: “Lima: mega-city and mega-problem” ,part: transport
2) Emerging world cities in Pacific Asia by Fu-Chen Lo & Yue-man Yeung
Article: “Changing Asia-Pacific world-cities”, part: New agglomeration and “Tokyo problems”.
The growth
I think that the growth and enormous increase of population
is another serious problem. The cities were not prepared for such a flood of people coming into the cities and looking for homes and jobs. The rapid internationalisation brought unexpected numbers of foreign workers into Tokyo. The number of foreign workers grew by more than 200 000 in the five years from 1986 to 1999, reaching a level of 1 075 317. The more serious aspect is the explosive increase in illegal immigrants. The number of illegal immigrants increased fivefold up to 36 000.
Lima grew enormously fast as well. Between 1940 and 1990 its population grew tenfold.(see table 1.0)But the growth also caused unemployment.(see table 1.1)
The people who are coming into the cities, especially illegal immigrants are mostly employed, if at all, as unskilled labourers in the service sector.
Most of the immigrants are outside the social security net. They have no insurances and often no money to pay for medical care. I think that the growth of this two cities is one of the most important reasons for other urban problems, like housing, poverty, crime and waste collection.
Sources:
1) The mega-city in Latin America, by Alan Gilbert
Article: “Lima: mega-city and mega-problem” ,part: growth
2) Emerging world cities in Pacific Asia by Fu-Chen Lo & Yue-man Yeung
Article: “Changing Asia-Pacific world-cities”, part: New agglomeration and “Tokyo problems”.
Lima: Population growth, 1940-1993
Table 1.0
Source :Inei, 1994
Un- and underemployment in Lima (percentage of economically active population)
Table 1.1
Source: Ministerio de Trabajo, Household surveys
Housing
Both of the mega cities have to cope with a serious housing problem, but the problem “housing” is very different in this two cities.
People with a low income in Lima live in so called barriadas. Also known as “young towns”. 1961 17% of Lima’s population was forced to live in barriadas, because the government was investing in the middle-class. The only thing authorities did for the very poor was giving them some dessert land.
There were small communities who were building the “young towns”. Individual families gradually improved their homes.
The final housing solutions were often a lot better than the ones they would have received in a public housing project.
There were only a few slums in the centre of lima because people were trying to build their own homes on the land, given them. But by the 1990s the city faced major problems with this housing model. Unoccupied land was scarce and therefore expensive. The barriadas had to be build on less suitable sites. More and more people are coming into the barriadas ,as a result of this there is less service for the people and the barriadas are extremely overcrowded. The barriadas are changing more and more from low class homes to slums.
(see picture)
Source:www.picturesofplaces.com
In contrast to this, Tokyo has to cope with a different sort of housing problem.
As large numbers migrated to Tokyo the city spread outwards so that most of the available flat land has now been used up.
Now up to 10 000 people are living within a square kilometre.
The town centre is the headquarter of many banks and it is a major shopping and entertainment centre. This had led to exceptionally high land prices and the building of high-rise office blocks. The town centre is the most expensive place to live.(see table 1.2)One of Tokyo’s most serious problems is centralisation.
Sources:
1) The mega-city in Latin America, by Alan Gilbert
Article: “Lima: mega-city and mega-problem” ,part: housing
2) Emerging world cities in Pacific Asia by Fu-Chen Lo & Yue-man Yeung
Article: “Changing Asia-Pacific world-cities”, part: New agglomeration and “Tokyo problems”.
Table 1.2 The relationship between annual income and the cost of a standard apartment in Tokyo
Source: Ministry of Construction, White Paper, 1990
Attempts of solution
Tokyo
Tokyo’s government is working on the decentralisation.
They are investing in the surrounding and into the developing water front of the city. The government is promoting decentralisation.
They want to redistribute the business centres themselves over the area, linking them to each other with high-tech-based telecommunications networks and rapid transit systems.
The Metropolitan Government demonstrated its determination by moving its governmental office from the crowded centre area to the new business centre in Shinjuku which is located outside the centre.
The work on the decentralisation is a way to try to solve the enormous traffic and transport problem.
Source:
Emerging world cities in Pacific Asia by Fu-Chen Lo & Yue-man Yeung
Article: “Changing Asia-Pacific world-cities”, part: New agglomeration and “Tokyo problems”.
Conclusion
My opinion is that the rapid increase of population in this two mega-cities is the cause of their problems.
Both of them, especially Lima are not prepared for the flood of people moving in. Natural resources, living space, and services are coming to the limit of capacity.
I think that decentralisation is the only way managing the situation. Lima’s government should act as the authorities in Tokyo and support the development of the surroundings of the city.
If the process of decentralisation will not happen fast enough both cities will collapse.
References
The mega-city in Latin America
Edited by Alan Gilbert
United Nations University Press
TOKYO - NEW YORK - PARIS
Emerging world cities in Pacific Asia
Edited by Fu-Chen Lo &
Yue-man Yeung
United Nations University Press
TOKYO - NEW YORK - PARIS