61 | Jorge Almazán, Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City

Jorge Almazán is a Tokyo-based architect and a researcher and an educator at the graduate Center for Space and Environment Design Engineering at Keio University, where he leads Studiolab, a university-based collaboration platform dedicated to design innovation and research.   He is also the author of Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City, which is the focus of this interview.   In this conversation, we cover Tokyo’s design, Yokocho alleyways, public spaces in Tokyo, and plenty more!   I hope you have as much fun as I did, so please enjoy my conversation with Jorge Almazán.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page on  https://compoundingpodcast.com/ep61    ------   Show Notes: [00:00:31] - [First question] - Jorge’s background with Japan [00:03:59] - “Made in Tokyo” and its influence on Jorge [00:07:44] - The process for writing Emergent Tokyo [00:13:07] - Describing Tokyo’s 5 Emergent Patterns [00:18:52] - Jorge’s personal favourite emergent pattern [00:21:28] - The beauty of smaller spaces [00:30:48] - “Designing the Spontaneous City” and the contradictions there [00:36:15] - Tokyo’s Neighbourhoods and housing affordability [00:51:20] - Why the lack of benches and seating in public spaces in Tokyo? [01:01:08] - Trying to formulate a model of emergent urbanism based on Tokyo. [01:08:49] - Wrapping up   ------   Connect with Jorge: Jorge Almazán Architects’ Website: https://www.jorgealmazan.net/  Jorge Almazan Studiolab YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj2AfrCOYhgwLW7cSreSQ8g   Connect with Jorge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorge-almaz%C3%A1n-a07038199/  Connect with Jorge on Twitter: https://twitter.com/J_Almazan_Arch     ------   Mentioned/Recommended Content: Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City: https://amzn.to/3M7rwu0  Made in Tokyo by Junzo Kuroda & Momoyo Kaijima: https://amzn.to/430FkNg    ------   Stay up to date with the podcast by signing up for the Compounding Curiosity Substack, where I’ll email you when the latest episode comes out along with my summary and takeaways, links to mentioned content, graphics and the transcript. Sign up at https://compoundingcuriosity.substack.com/    ------   Stay Connected with Compounding Curiosity: Visit the Compounding Curiosity PODCAST: https://CompoundingPodcast.com/  Sign up for the Compounding Curiosity SUBSTACK: https://compoundingcuriosity.substack.com/  Follow Compounding Curiosity on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/CompndCuriosity/  Follow Kalani Scarrott on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ScarrottKalani/  Sign up for the Allocators Asia SUBSTACK: https://AllocatorsAsia.substack.com/   Join the DISCORD: https://discord.gg/NPVNPVsCYb  Have some thoughts on the podcast? Leave FEEDBACK: https://forms.gle/Du61UxeJ25BkydH49