Toyama has become a global example of how regional cities can adapt to ageing populations through compact city planning
Toyama City in central Japan has emerged as an internationally recognised example of how regional cities can respond to long-term population decline through deliberate urban redesign. In January, the city was named by The New York Times as one of the “52 Places to Go in 2025,” alongside Osaka, highlighting both its cultural appeal and its growing reputation as a model for sustainable urban development.
While the international spotlight initially focused on tourism, Toyama’s global significance is rooted in its approach to city planning. The city’s “compact city” policy has been cited by organisations such as the OECD and the World Bank as a leading example of how to manage shrinking and ageing populations. In a 2012 OECD report on compact city policies, Toyama was identified as one of five global case study cities, placing it firmly within an international policy conversation on urban sustainability.
The context for this attention is Japan’s wider demographic transformation. Government projections suggest that by 2045, the elderly population will account for over 30% of residents in metropolitan areas, rising to around 45% in rural regions. This shift places increasing pressure on local government finances and public service delivery, as shrinking tax bases must support rising demand for healthcare, welfare, and infrastructure maintenance.
Toyama’s experience reflects these national trends. In the early 2000s, the city was emblematic of many regional Japanese municipalities experiencing population decline, ageing, and urban sprawl. As residents moved to suburban detached housing, the traditional urban core weakened, commercial activity dispersed, and reliance on private cars increased. This pattern created growing difficulties for elderly residents and others unable to drive, while also contributing to environmental concerns, including increased emissions and reduced physical mobility.
At the same time, low-density expansion significantly increased the cost of maintaining infrastructure such as roads, bridges, water systems, and public facilities. As population density declined in parts of the city, service provision became less efficient, and the risk of urban decay in underused areas increased.
In response, Toyama pursued a long-term restructuring strategy centred on public transport. The city strengthened its bus network and developed its light rail transit system, known as the Toyama Light Rail, while actively encouraging residential and commercial development along key transport corridors. Public services and urban amenities were also concentrated in central and district hubs to reinforce accessibility.
This approach has gradually reshaped the city’s spatial structure. The share of residents living along public transport corridors increased from approximately 28% in 2005 to nearly 40% by 2019, indicating a measurable shift towards more transit-oriented living. The city centre has also seen a gradual revival in activity, supported by improved accessibility and targeted redevelopment.
Toyama’s model is often described using the “dango and skewer” metaphor (dango being a kind of Japanese sweet dumpling), in which dense urban clusters are connected by strong transport lines. The aim is not to eliminate urban areas outside these corridors, but to concentrate essential services and population density in ways that remain viable under long-term demographic contraction.
Internationally, the Toyama model has been widely disseminated through OECD publications and World Bank programmes, particularly as a reference point for developing countries facing rapid urbanisation. While such contexts differ significantly from Japan’s ageing society, planners have drawn parallels in relation to unmanaged urban expansion. In many rapidly growing cities, weak planning and limited infrastructure risk producing sprawl, congestion, and unequal access to services.
A notable example of Toyama’s international influence can be seen in Narayanganj City in Bangladesh. Located near Dhaka, Narayanganj has experienced rapid population growth, driven by rural migration and industrial expansion, particularly in textiles and manufacturing. Over two decades, its population has doubled to around two million, placing significant strain on infrastructure and urban management systems.
Unplanned development has led to fragmented urban space, inadequate drainage systems, traffic congestion, and environmental degradation, including air pollution and heat stress. In response, the city, supported by World Bank financing, launched an urban regeneration project focused on the Buriganga Canal system, aiming to improve drainage, create green public spaces, and restore water-based infrastructure.
Crucially, Narayanganj officials participated in training programmes organised by the World Bank’s Tokyo Development Learning Center, where Toyama’s compact city strategy was a central case study. Delegates visited Toyama and Tokyo in 2016, where they observed the city’s light rail system, integrated transport hubs, and public spaces such as Toyama Glass Art Museum and canal-side developments.
The training emphasised not only infrastructure design but also long-term governance considerations, including the importance of anticipating future demographic change and involving citizens in planning processes. Participants were particularly struck by the integration of natural water systems into urban public space, exemplified by developments such as Kansui Park.
Following their return, Narayanganj incorporated elements of these lessons into its canal redevelopment strategy, combining infrastructure repair with environmental restoration and public space creation. Cleaning, dredging, and greening initiatives transformed previously degraded waterways into accessible civic spaces. The project has since received international recognition, including awards for liveable urban development aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
In recent years, further cooperation has continued, with delegations from Narayanganj visiting Toyama to share progress and reinforce knowledge exchange. This ongoing relationship illustrates how a medium-sized Japanese regional city has become a reference point for global urban policy, influencing not only ageing societies but also rapidly growing urban centres.
Toyama’s experience ultimately highlights a broader shift in urban governance thinking: from expansion-based planning to adaptation under constraint. Rather than attempting to reverse demographic decline, the city has sought to design a more efficient, accessible, and sustainable urban form within it. As Japan’s regional cities continue to face similar pressures, Toyama’s approach is increasingly viewed not as an exception, but as a potential template for the future of regional urbanism.
Sources:
https://www.city.toyama.lg.jp/shisei/machizukuri/1015125/1006102.html
https://www.asahi.com/sdgs/article/16243665?msockid=2ee31afe8aa168e02fdc0f698b41698a
Top photo: 663highland, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons
