What Residents Tell us about Urban Redevelopment Projects in Tokyo: A Comparison of Residents’ Feedback and Government Narratives using Google Maps Reviews

Digital applications are becoming more and more important for public participation, consultation and surveys, making use of digital twin platforms and interactive Geographic Information Systems (GIS), among others. The most well-known and widely used web-GIS tool with interactive elements is surely Google Maps, which allows users to rate and comment on points of interest (POIs), such as businesses, public services and infrastructure. Akkaya et al. 2024 made use of this extensive collection of user experiences and demonstrated that Google Maps reviews provide valuable feedback on public services and infrastructure, such as public parks. However, regarding living conditions and residential environments, there are no POIs that can be rated or commented on. Condominium complexes and large housing estates, on the other hand, often do have POIs and therefore can be evaluated. Since the 1990s, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) has been determinedly promoting the redevelopment of central areas, leading to the construction of a large number of high-rise, mixed-use buildings and condominium complexes. This policy is justified by the revitalization of inner-city areas, increased disaster resilience and the creation of public open spaces, among other things. While the TMG’s objectives are set out in various strategies and brochures, the voices of current residents of these developments are notably less prominent. This paper first analyses the feedback and experience of residents of redevelopment projects shared on Google Maps, using qualitative content analysis. It then compares these findings with the narratives on the need for redevelopment of the TMG. Building on this, it demonstrates the extent to which tools such as Google Maps can be used to crowdsource the evaluation of urban development projects and policies.