Urbanization is reshaping economies and societies worldwide. More than half of the global population now lives in cities, a share expected to reach 68 percent by 2050. Cities generate about 70 percent of global GDP but also consume most of the world’s energy and account for a large share of greenhouse gas emissions. In Asia and Africa, urban areas may expand fourfold by 2050, intensifying pressure on land and infrastructure. Rapid and often unplanned growth has contributed to inadequate services, insecure land tenure, expanding informal settlements, and deepening inequality—making effective land and urban management a critical challenge for governments.
Recognizing the importance of these challenges, the World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) hosted a Technical Deep Dive (TDD) on Urban Planning and Land for Growth from October 27 to 31, 2025, in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Organized with the World Bank’s Communities of Practice on Urban and Regional Planning, and Land, the TDD brought together 65 policymakers and experts from 9 client countries—Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Tanzania, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam—to explore how integrated land and urban systems can support sustainable and inclusive development.
Despite differing contexts, many countries share similar constraints: informal settlements, insecure tenure, outdated planning tools, weak institutional capacity, and limited coordination across agencies. Throughout the week, participants discussed how Japan and other countries have addressed these issues through stronger legal frameworks, digital transformation, and integrated planning approaches.
Learning from Japan’s Urban Planning and Land Readjustment Systems
The program introduced Japan’s national urban planning system and land readjustment framework, which together have guided orderly expansion and redevelopment for decades. Japan’s City Planning Act and Land Readjustment Law, supported by zoning and building regulations and strong coordination with transport planning, offer clear processes for managing land use and urban growth. These foundations have helped Japanese cities develop coherently and efficiently, providing important lessons for countries seeking reform.
Participants also explored practical applications through case studies. In Kyoto, land readjustment has reorganized fragmented land parcels for more than a century, enabling the creation of arterial road networks and supporting planned expansion. A site visit to the Fushimi West Land Readjustment Project provided firsthand insights into landowner consensus building, negotiation of land uses, and project management at the local level.
Large-scale urban regeneration projects in Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills and Osaka’s Umekita district further demonstrated how public–private collaboration can unlock land value and drive transformation. Roppongi Hills showed how consolidating hundreds of parcels with complex ownership enabled a landmark redevelopment effort, while Umekita illustrated how integrated planning—linking transport, green space, and mixed-use development—can enhance urban vitality and land value.
Global Perspectives and Shared Lessons
International cases enriched the exchange. Rwanda’s digital land administration system and Kerala’s digital land survey program highlighted how digitalization improves transparency and planning efficiency. Urban planning examples from Madrid and Amaravati underscored people-centered design and high-quality public spaces. Cases from places such as Canada and São Paulo showed how public land management, land value capture, and transit-oriented development can integrate planning with sustainable financing.
Across these examples, several messages stood out. Digital land information systems are essential for transparency, coordination, and climate risk–informed planning. Strong legal and institutional frameworks—such as those underpinning Japan’s planning and land readjustment systems—create the enabling environment needed for investment. Effective management of urban expansion and densification requires integrated approaches, including arterial grid planning, land consolidation, and flexible zoning reforms that respond to evolving needs.
Action Planning and Next Steps
On the final day, each country presented an action plan detailing how insights from the TDD would inform ongoing reforms. Plans included digitizing land records, reviewing planning legislation, piloting land readjustment, strengthening institutional capacity, mobilizing private investment, and integrating climate resilience into spatial planning. These action plans represent a critical step toward translating TDD knowledge into policy and implementation.
TDLC will continue supporting participating countries as they advance their reforms, connecting Japanese expertise with global best practices to help shape more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive cities.
Participant Voices
“Japan’s experience actually helps us to form the policy and planning to better address the problem of Land Management in the city, which is also part of our office’s mandate.”
Anuporn Wanwisade, Policy and Plan Analyst, Senior Professional Level Office of the National Land Policy Board, Thailand
“All planning in our areas should be people-centered. And we came to realize that the more we engage the local people and the private sector in the planning process, the more we realize the plans that have been prepared.”
Deogratias Kalimenze, Director of Human Settlements Development, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Tanzania
“The field Visits highlighted the power of proactive governance, long-term urban planning, and strategic stakeholder engagement.”
Oumou Kalsom Khoule Epse Seck, Director of Spatial Planning National Agency for Territorial Planning, Senegal
Please view the photos here.