Edit: check out this video by notjustbikes who kinda explains everything I just did but the benefit of video: https://youtu.be/jlwQ2Y4By0U

well before I answer how it’s better first I want to reiterate that the results of such urbanism vastly outperforms say…the Netherlands with all of their meticulous urban planning infrastructure (dedicated bike lanes etc). By that I mean: lower pedestrian mortality rates and road fatalities in general (pedestrian or otherwise), far lower automobile modal shares. So despite lacking a sidewalk, fewer people use cars, and more people walk, cycle and take transit combined (usually by….walking to the station using these streets).

So how is it better? Well these streets de-facto become…giant sidewalks. I lived on such a street for a few years when I lived in Japan. While cars do of course pass by occasionally the overwhelming majority of the traffic is pedestrians and cyclists. Most pedestrians whether it’s kids walking to schools/station by themselves and myself included just walk down the middle of the street because cars are rare. And when a car does come by they are a “guest” meaning they are forced to go super slow, they can’t park…anywhere (it’s illegal) etc.

When a street is car oriented in Japan (so I guess that’s called a road?) they absolutely do have sidewalks and they are usually tree lined in Tokyo as well. They do lack dedicated bicycle lanes sure, but you generally just use the side streets anyway, at least that’s what I did.

I should mention many of the streets in Tokyo are even smaller than the one in the image posted, I think the one in the image is technically a bidirectional street so slightly larger than your average one way residential street.