After the fire, the Tokugawa shogunate set out to reconstruct the city. They worked out a plan that would make Edo more fire-resistant. It called for the expansion of roads, the building of small parks to serve as shelters, and the creation of large empty spaces to prevent fires from spreading.
　As you can imagine, these big public projects required an enormous labor force. A lot of people from all over Japan moved to Edo seeking jobs, which partly explains the sharp increase in its population. These new workers contributed to the rebuilding of the damaged city. Look at Picture 3.
　One of the major projects was the construction of a new bridge, which was called Ryogokubashi, over the Sumida River. The bridge was necessary because many people had drowned during the fire, trying to reach the opposite bank. It was also built to develop the areas on the other side of the river. The new bridge helped business flourish on both sides of the river. As we can see in Picture 4, it later became a popular viewing spot for fireworks, as it still is today.