The Transformation of Suburban Railways and Regional Development in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

Abstract Through large-scale new construction, expansion and comprehensive development of suburban railways, the Tokyo metropolitan area has effectively driven the development of the peripheral areas of the metropolitan circle, which has achieved good socioeconomic benefits and is a model for the construction of human settlements. This study adopts an exploratory sequential mixed-methods research design, taking the JR Chuo Express Line, Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line, and TX Express Line as typical cases. It first conducts a historical policy discussion based on textual analysis of the transformation and renovation of Tokyo’s suburban railways and their relationship with urban development, sorting out the characteristics and successful experiences of integrated development along suburban railways in Tokyo. Then, it carries out a data-based discussion on the current situation, summarizing the effects of the lines and their stations on driving population growth and land prices, the TOD (transit-oriented development) model along the lines, and the collaborative strategies between railways, stations, and surrounding cities, so as to analyze the synergistic relationship between the transformation of suburban railways and urban development in Tokyo as well as the effects after the transformation. Research results indicate that during the early construction and development stages of the outer areas of the Tokyo metropolitan area, suburban railways have had a positive effect on the development of population and land prices along the line, as well as the integrated development of stations and cities. Their construction experience can provide reference for the formulation of suburban railway development strategies and integrated development along the lines in similar international metropolitan circles.