This paper illustrates the practice of maintaining small greenery in a typical high-density, low-rise district in Tokyo through extensive mapping and systematic photographic analysis of vertical green coverage. Overlooked by statistics based on aerial photography, this paper describes small greenery and the way in which it improves urban scenery. As more cities are planning to increase their green surface, this paper aims to bring attention to the potential role of environmental and social sustainability played by small-scale vegetation. Such greenery, spontaneously cultivated by residents, not only contributes to embellishing the streets, but also serves as a social device to personalize and subtly characterize territories, while expressing the creativity and cohesion of the community.

Almazán, Jorge, Radovic, Darko and Suzuki, Tomohiro. "Small Urban Greenery: Mapping and Visual Analysis in Kyojima-sanchome," in ArchNet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 6, issue 1 (2012).

Jorge Almazán, Darko Radovic, and Tomohiro Suzuki

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