Developing terminology for side facades and side setback areas in Japanese neighborhoods: a study on utility and perception

Abstract

The contribution of front or back yards to sociability has been the subject of several studies. No such finding however is evident for side setback areas, short distances kept between adjacent buildings, which in the case of comparatively dense Japanese urban neighborhood environments can be as short as a few decimeters. The present study locates side setback areas and building facades that look towards them in Japanese planning terminology, and examines them from the residents' point of view. The data for this preliminary step of the research was collected based on a carefully designed and explained 2014 survey of 190 academics scholars throughout Japan. The results suggest that no demographic characteristic or housing type, number of floors or period of time living in the area were shown to be significant in residents' perceptions towards the side setback areas. Those who had no side setback area were more concerned with their privacy, smoke, sound or darkness whereas those with side setback areas were more satisfied. As for preferences, having a Green Wall, Terrace/Balcony and Living/Dining were the preferred choice of those with side setback areas. All respondents tended to perceive the spaces as valued for the light and ventilation they provide. Several activities such as storage, parking and drying clothes were common among the respondents' perceptions of activities suitable for these spaces.

Guidelines on Unused Open Spaces between Buildings for Sustainable Urban Management

“…The second perspective includes studies presenting side setback areas as unused spaces with utility value. Shojai et al [5] examined the characteristics of side setback areas in residential districts in Japan. They argued that side setback areas adjacent to public walkways are public in nature and are, thus, perceived as open space by pedestrians.…”

“…Side setback areas can be used in two ways. First, side setback areas adjacent to residential buildings within a residential district can be used as green spaces or air shafts, which affects housing prices and satisfaction with the residential environment [5][6][7][27][28][29][30]. Kilnarova and Wittmann [30] compared the closed courts in the urban block from the 19th central and the open spaces in the housing estates constructed under socialism in the 20th central.…”

“…Many studies have proven that securing setback distance between buildings is a significant variable in preventing fires from spreading [1][2][3][4]. Moreover, side setback areas have been proven to be a key factor for building environments within residential areas, as they facilitate access to sunshine and ventilation [5][6][7].…”

Setback Violation and Residents’ Perception about Living Conditions in Vertical Buildings of Qasimabad, Hyderabad

“…This scale is commonly used to measure attitude by providing a range of responses to a given question or statement (Subedi, 2016). So, keeping in view the objectives of this study, to measure the attitude/perception of people living in the vertical buildings the Likert scale was used (Shojai et al, 2016). Likert scale with index numbers is an effective tool to judge peoples' opinions (Talpur, Chandio, Baig, & Abbasi, 2016).…”

“…They are a set of rules enforced in human settlements and are aimed to protect public health, safety, general welfare and environment (India environment portal, 2016;Kumar, 2015). Among these rules, setback is the one which posits that space fully open to sky must be provided at the ground level from the edge of the building, wherein built-up area shall not be permitted except when specifically permitted (Shojai, Mori & Nomura, 2016). The presence of setbacks in residential buildings improves their visual appearance.…”