EconTalk · Russ Roberts

The Magic of Tokyo (with Joe McReynolds)

October 13, 2025·1 hr 9 min·5 clips
A friend opened a Tokyo bar for $1,600—impossible in the U.S. due to liquor licenses and zoning.
Joe McReynolds discusses his book 'Emergent Tokyo,' exploring how bottom-up urban design, flexible zoning, and supportive policies create Tokyo's vibrant micro-businesses and affordable housing. The conversation contrasts Tokyo's emergent order with top-down planning in other cities, offering lessons for urban livability.
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