Streetscape Scenarios of Ephemeral Public Spaces before and during the pandemic of COVID-19 in Ura-Harajuku, Tokyo

Abstract

Over the past two years, the Coronavirus pandemic has affected not only the modern working lifestyle but also has impacted street life by demanding social distance and avoiding closed and crowded places. Since then, the public spaces around the world have been trying to adapt to this new environment. Tokyo, one of the most populated metropolises in the world, known for its small apartments and lively streets, has previously made use of the street as a public space, for instance, some commercial Streets in Tokyo are enjoyed as an entire sidewalk by sharing the same space with different means of transportation, providing a walkable environment as a sustainable solution for accessibility in the actual city life. This study will clarify some of the necessities of the new streetscape environment, it will contribute to learning from the ephemeral and close relationship of the use of the street as public spaces in the COVID-19 pandemic and before, enlightening safe but lively pedestrian activities as sustainable and dynamic strategies for a constantly changing lifestyle, helping our cities to be resilient in unpredictable situations for the street life of today and the future emergencies.