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I voted for Shanghai. That city literally looks like something from the Jetsons. Tokyo is advanced, but I wouldn't say it's as futuristic and ahead of it's time like it was 20 years ago. It's just very modern. It's like an Asian Atlanta on steroids, with a better transit system and lower crime. Many cities now have what used to be unique to Shibuya and Shinjuku (plus Times Square, Picadilly Circus, Las Vegas, and a few other places). Los Angeles is starting to look like its image in "Blade Runner".
I voted for Shanghai. That city literally looks like something from the Jetsons. Tokyo is advanced, but I wouldn't say it's as futuristic and ahead of it's time like it was 20 years ago. It's just very modern. It's like an Asian Atlanta on steroids, with a better transit system and lower crime. Many cities now have what used to be unique to Shibuya and Shinjuku (plus Times Square, Picadilly Circus, Las Vegas, and a few other places). Los Angeles is starting to look like its image in "Blade Runner".
Shanghai's Pudong district is probably the closest thing to Blade Runner right now.
Tokyo is advanced, but I wouldn't say it's as futuristic and ahead of it's time like it was 20 years ago. It's just very modern. It's like an Asian Atlanta on steroids, with a better transit system and lower crime.
From my experience there is nothing about Atlanta that is like Tokyo. Other than the fact that they both happen to be cities that occupy space on the surface of this planet that we all live in. Beyond that, I cannot think of any other commonalities that the two share with one another.
My take is that Atlanta is a prime candidate for a city that is "the exact opposite of Tokyo in almost every way, shape, and form." Especially regarding urban form, infrastructure, cityscape aesthetics, and density. Perhaps you have a better idea of that? I'd love to hear your take on it.
Last edited by Trafalgar Law; 01-06-2018 at 03:30 PM..
It should be pointed out that 1950s artists' conceptions of futuristic cityscapes, on the covers of sci-fi mags, now simply look laughable. "Futuristic" did not portray the future, but only a brief and ephemeral phase in concept, with flying cars. Look at Brasilia -- the future of cityscapes did not turn out to be anything like Brasilia.
Similarly, what we see today as futuristic may simply be the latest building in a current fad.
From my experience there is nothing about Atlanta that is like Tokyo. Other than the fact that they both happen to be cities that occupy space on the surface of this planet that we all live in. Beyond that, I cannot think of any other commonalities that the two share with one another.
My take is that Atlanta is a prime candidate for a city that is "the exact opposite of Tokyo in almost every way, shape, and form." Especially regarding urban form, infrastructure, cityscape aesthetics, and density. Perhaps you have a better idea of that? I'd love to hear your take on it.
The main thing that makes them similar is the climate, which naturally makeup the vegetation similar (trees, plants, flowers, etc.). The architecture is similar as they both have the modern look, and certain distrcts of Atlanta look like certain districts of Tokyo (ex: Midtown and Shinjuku, Buckhead and Roppongi, the Downtowns). If you have an imagination like I do you'll see a lot more similarities.
But in reality they are opposite in many ways, especially when it comes to infrastructure, culture, and crime rates. Tokyo is known to be efficient, and unfortunately efficiency and Atlanta don't belong in the same sentence, as it was seen in a few instances in 2017. Atlanta doesn't have a train system like Tokyo and doesn't look like it will anytime soon. Even cities like Denver, Dallas, and Miami/Orlando are getting closer to Tokyo and that regard. Tokyo also doesn't have any low life ghetto people. People there are more polite and respectful, they were raised better, educated better, and the culture is more community thinking rather than individualistic. Basically Atlanta is a city that I wish could be like Tokyo, but maybe I would have been better off living in TYO. The thing about Atlanta is it's very American, sometimes more American than America, if that makes sense. Basically the problems that are found in most American cities, are especially true in Atlanta (suburbanization, sprawl, traffic, crime, individualism, materialism).
This may seem like a paradox, but sometimes opposite forces can be "equal". So what American city would you say looks more like Tokyo? Would you say New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, DC, Denver, Dallas, or Detroit? Basically what I'm getting at is do you think someone who loves Tokyo would be unhappy living in Atlanta? I'm actually content here in Atlanta. I can pretty much live the same lifestyle I was living in Tokyo.
Last edited by SEAandATL; 01-07-2018 at 08:07 AM..
Reason: More to add
I just came back from Japan, where I spent just over 10 days, and Tokyo is super advanced but not in a futuristic sort of way. It lacks the sleekness and shiny attributes of Doha and Dubai, for example, which both look more futuristic than Tokyo but are less advanced as cities than Tokyo. For instance, Tokyo can justify it's advanced state with things like Maglev, which neither Doha or Dubai have. Tokyo has numerous features, just like this, that exceed the advanced infrastructure in the two Arab world cities. However, when you look at the aesthetic component by itself, both Doha and Dubai look like cities of the future due to their architectural style and build, in that sense, much more futuristic but also less advanced than Tokyo.
Tokyo actually reminds me more of London's formula, which is an excellent blend of old with new, or as I personally choose to term it, where modern meets retro. It's a beautiful combination, something that doesn't exist in either Doha or Dubai.
Very futuristic looking city, I'd say. Indeed, but about average in terms of being advanced. Tokyo is an inverse of that, very very advanced city, I'd say the most advanced in the world, but not necessarily futuristic. Tokyo has a lot of modernism to it but plenty of old stuff too, to keep its aesthetics in balance. Much like what London is increasingly shaping up to be like as well.
Question regarding Maglev. Is there a line of it in Tokyo already in use? If so, which one is it? I knew they had something in the works, but was not sure if it was done yet. Definitely want to ride the line if so.
What other features would you describe as more advanced, or that make it the most advanced city in the world? I know you described many positive features earlier in your message, but I'm mainly referring to technology/infrastructure here.
Some of these shouldn't even be listed (Sydney, Toronto, SF, Moscow, Helsinki and Bangalore???)
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