The City That Wasted Nothing

In the 17th century, the city of Edo (modern day Tokyo) had almost a million residents, but was suffering on the brink of ecological collapse due to the cascading effects of deforestation. 

Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled with an iron hand but mostly with an eye toward the long-term benefits to the country and its residents. The government enacted a series of reforms that were difficult, but over time turned Edo into a recovering and sustainable city. You have to wonder how well the people who lived there at the time understood the long-term goals of the sacrifices they had to make- especially those with few resources of their own. The reforms of that period went a long way toward making Tokyo what it is today.