>[!abstract] >Zakkyo buildings are basically vertical strip-malls for urban pedestrians (Smith, 2024). >[!quote] >In a tall, narrow zakkyo building, each floor can potentially hold multiple microbusinesses, collectively giving Tokyo a rich vertical dimension beyond mere high-rise offices and residences… Zakkyo buildings often appear in train station commercial districts, where land prices are high but potential customers are numerous… Whereas in most cities around the world a building’s commercial uses are located on its ground floors along the street, zakkyo buildings accommodate commercial functions vertically on all levels. Entering the upper floors of a zakkyo building, one might find a restaurant, an internet café, a health clinic, a hostess club, and a language school all in the same building, without any particular hierarchy or organizing principle… A single narrow zakkyo building can sometimes host as many as 80 distinct microbusinesses (McReynolds, 2022). ## References - McReynolds, J. (2022, December 8). Understanding Tokyo's land use: The power of microspaces. Mercatus Center, George Mason University. https://www.mercatus.org/research/working-papers/understanding-tokyos-land-use-power-microspaces - Smith, N. (2024, October 21). A better way to build a downtown. *Noahpinion*. https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/a-better-way-to-build-a-downtown