New York: July 17 - July 21, 2017
Tokyo: July 24 - August 4, 2017
Led by Adam Frampton
Due to the world’s highest life expectancy and lowest fertility rate, nearly one quarter of Japan’s population is currently over the age of 65. Japan’s population is shrinking and becoming more elderly. By 2100, Tokyo’s population is forecast to drop from thirteen million to seven million people. At that time, Tokyo’s population over 65 is expected to equal the “working age population” of those between the ages of 15 to 64, a radical shift in the proportion of those engaged in labor. This signifies a fundamental transformation in not only social and economic structures, but also urban form and architectural typologies of housing. During the summer of 2017, in collaboration with faculty and students from Waseda University, Aging Tokyo will investigate the future of Tokyo based on shifting demographics and longer human lifespans. The workshop will observe how aging currently impacts the city and its periphery, identify broader trends and opportunities, and locate specific sites and case studies that reveal critical challenges facing the future of Tokyo. The workshop will focus primarily on new forms of housing instigated by aging, but also touch upon broader issues such as mobility, leisure, and de-densification. This workshop will be the first in a series of two and is anticipated to eventually culminate in a publication.