The importance of green amenities for small creative actors in Tokyo: Comparing natural and sociocultural spatial attraction characteristics

Abstract

In the last decade, the Japanese authorities have invested considerable effort and economic resources into constructing developmental models that can help build a friendlier environment for the domestic creative economy. Due to Tokyo’s specific natural and sociocultural characteristics, these efforts have had mixed effects on small creative groups. Based on an analysis of spatial attraction factors for individuals from various creative occupations, this article identifies how important green or natural amenities are in comparison with other sociocultural characteristics for small creative groups. The analysis of data acquired through semi-structured interviews indicates that green amenities do not play a primary role in the spatial distribution of small creative groups, but they do play a very important secondary role in cases when creative workers balance similar spatial attraction characteristics in specific areas in Tokyo.

Keywords

• spatial attraction factors
• natural amenities
• green amenities
• creative sectors
• creative ecosystem
• small creative actors
• tokyo