Smart City and Urban Planning Challenges

Akito Murayama, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Urban Engineering,School of Engineering, The University of Tokyomurayama@up.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp

GCP Workshop: ZeroCarbon x Digital: Urban Decarbonization in the Post-Covid-19 EraSession 2: New urban planning approaches for designing future zero carbon December 15, 2020

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Tele-Working From My Small Home

A Kitten Joined Our Family (More Time at Home)

Bicycling to My Office (Once a Week)

More Time in the Park (Congested)

My Life in Tokyo during COVID-19 Pandemic

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Street Redesign Experiment (August)

Dorm Dining Space (December)

Re-Evaluation of the Suburbs and Urban Farmlands

Distancing in Public Spaces

Tokyo during COVID-19 Pandemic

Smart City and Urban Planning Challenges in Japan

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• Smart city, one of the important keywords in urban planning in Japan

• Smart city is an attractive vision for both urban planners and smart technology specialists

• How urban visions and urban planning institutions should be transformed?

• Special Committee on Smart City (2020-2024), The City Planning Institute of Japan: academics and practitioners in urban planning, urban development and smart technologies

• Challenges recognized in the committee:

1. compactness and network

2. value of real space

3. relationship between planning and lawless

4. governance structure

• Urban decarbonization through smart city initiatives

- intensified and de-intensifying areas

- zoning system reform

- various districts that compose cities

- district-based, experimental approach

Akito Murayama: Institutional Instruments for Urban Systems Design – from the Plannerʼs Perspective, 2020

Some implications from the book chapter

1. Compactness and Network

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• Path dependency of the compact city concept in Japanese cities > Smart city initiatives to support compact city (smart city should not be a contradicting vision)

• Density of people in intensified urban centers (buildings and open spaces) may be managed by smart city technologies in COVID-19 pandemic

• Mobility and services in de-intensifying suburbs is important especially for elderly and children

- intensified and de-intensifying areas

Increasing Population in Station Areas

Increasing Land Use Density in Urban Center

Image of Population Density Distribution

Nagoya City Master Plan (2020)

Population Decrease in the Suburbs

2. Value of Real Space

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- various districts that compose cities

Society 5.0 Vision: Real Space and Cyber Space (Digital Twin of Cities)“A human-centered society that balances economic advancement with the resolution of social problems by a system that highly integrates cyberspace and physical space.”

For urban planners:How can we plan and develop physical space (i.e. cities and communities) that support “Society 5.0” starting from the existing physical space that supported previous “societies (1.0-4.0)”?

2. Value of Real Space

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- various districts that compose cities

• The tools have been developed and applied to assess and certify the efforts to build ecodistricts around the world, mainly focusing large redevelopment

• CASBEE for Urban Development (CASBEE-UD) in Japan

• LEED for Neighborhood (LEED-ND) in the United States

• Some tools developed for existing urban districts: EcoDistricts Certified

www.harumi-flag.jpHARUMI FLAG, TOKYO

Sustainability Assessment Tools for Districts (and Cities)

2. Value of Real Space

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General typologies of urban districts with current trends and realistic future visions- various districts that compose cities

Conservation of historic and culturalneighborhoods in and outside urbancenters and central urban areas

Shaping “Green-Agri-Residential Space” in sprawled area (de-intensification through active conservation and creation of urban farmlands)

Maintenance or de-intensification ofplanned residential areas

Gradual retreat from urban areas with high disaster risks (excluding areas to strengthen)

Urban centers and central urban areas where adequate density, mixed use, open space creation and street redesign are promoted

Also…Shaping self-sustaining agricultural,mountain and fishery villagesConservation of forests, farmlandsand river flood plains

| CONCEPT _ Neo Gateway with smart technologies

Smart Infrastructureroads, sewage & water treatment plants, trees, parks, agriculture, rain garden, district heating system, urban sensors...

Smart Buildingdensity , FAR, height control, fabrication system using Shinkiba timber, vertical green, passive design...

Smart Mobilitypedestrian connectivity, self driving car, EV, small mobility sharing, navigation system, canal traffic...

Smart Policye-governance, citizen participation, temporary/mix use of vacant lots or road spaces,housing affordability, status monitoring...

3. Planning and Lawless

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Zoning, a fundamental tool in urban planning,

• that fine-tune the density of urban areas while decreasing the overall density (population and household, urban land use) of a city

• that right-size urban infrastructure such as roads, parks and green lands as facilities, water works and sewage systems, energy supply facilities such as electricity and gas

• that are coordinated with the restructuring of public facilities (schools, government buildings, public housing, libraries and civic centers)

• that supports public transit systems of railways and buses

• that accommodates new modes of transport such as autonomous vehicles and small mobilities

• for low environmental impact and disaster mitigation

• to promote diversity, inclusiveness and tolerance

• that supports dynamic and temporary land uses

- zoning system reform

| CONCEPT _ Neo Gateway with smart technologies

Smart Infrastructureroads, sewage & water treatment plants, trees, parks, agriculture, rain garden, district heating system, urban sensors...

Smart Buildingdensity , FAR, height control, fabrication system using Shinkiba timber, vertical green, passive design...

Smart Mobilitypedestrian connectivity, self driving car, EV, small mobility sharing, navigation system, canal traffic...

Smart Policye-governance, citizen participation, temporary/mix use of vacant lots or road spaces,housing affordability, status monitoring...

Studio Work in Urban Development, Autumn 2020Department of Urban Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo

4. Governance Structure

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Low Carbon City Nagoya Action Plan (2018) Goal

- district-based, experimental approach

10,000 tons-CO2

Household

Private Automobile

Business Automobile

Office and Shops

Factories and Others

Other Gases

FactNew Goal

11Urban Green Infrastructure is the Key Implementation Measure in the Updated Urban / Green Master Plans

• Gradual shift from automobile-dependent urban structure to transit-oriented,networked compact urban structure by creating walkable and healthy urban environment

• Pursuing mixed-use developments with green infrastructure to create walkable neighborhoods within 800m radius from the transit stations.

• Planning of low carbon city and green city responded to climate change especially heat waves in summer and increasing storms that result in urban flooding. Urban Master Plan Green Master Plan

4. Governance StructureCitywide Planning Approach for Decarbonization

- district-based, experimental approach

16ha textile wholesaler district in transition located in the high-density urban center of Nagoya City, Japan

ORGANIZATION

PROJECTS

CO2 REDUCTION ROADMAP

Community-driven effort supported by City of Nagoya• Nishiki 2 Community

Development Council (Visioning and Planning)

• Nishiki 2 Area Management Corporation (Project Implementation)

• N2/Lab (Area Innovation Platform Connecting Community, Industries and Research Institutions)

Green Building Promotion

Urban Energy Project

Wood Utilization Project

Public Space Design Project

Large-scale urban redevelopment as well as eco-renovation of old buildings

Promoting alternative energy

Local timber in community spaces

Redesigning streets for people including outdoor dining spaces in COVID-19 situation

Challenges in monitoring progress

Low-carbon district project is a community-driven, incremental approach in existing urban area to achieve low-carbon city. Climate change adaptation is also becoming important: response to urban heat island and torrential rain. Newly established platform allows researchers to get involved.

N2

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4. Governance Structure - district-based, experimental approach

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4. Governance Structure - district-based, experimental approach

Bridging the gap between the current status of mobileretailers and the concept of self-driving stores to helpintroduce new technology to existing urban area

What kind of spaces in communities are actually usedand should be designed for mobile retailers?

2nd International Conference of IASUR, March 29-30, 2019, Xi’an, China

The group of elderly holds lunch gathering in thisgreenhouse after buying food from the mobileretailer.

People use variousvehicles to come tothe place.

Lack of space for thetemporary place.

Community/Urban Planning

Smart Technology

Smart Urban Planning and Management System Framework

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Smart Technologies and Systems

Now, Here(Realtime Management)

1 Week to Several Weeks from Now(Area Management)

Mid-Long Range Future(Urban Planning)

Micro Climate Information of cool spots in hot summer to avoid heat shocks

Flexible use of open space based on weather forecast

Landscape and urban design policies based on the relationship between micro climate and urban environment

Energy Consumption in Buildings

Peak cut of energy consumption

Reconstruction of buildings with bad energy efficiency, Designing energy efficient (low-carbon) districts

Building and land use data collection

Managing the use of shared spaces for efficient and temporary building/land use

Transformation of existing concept of building and land use, Zoning change

Urban green and urban farmland

Remote monitoring of farms and gardens

Planning farming and gardening activities

Planning, design and management of agri-residential mixed urban area

New mobility Response to immediate movement needs

Planning flexible public transport services

Designing streets, public spaces and facilities to support new types of mobility

Conclusion

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• Path dependency: smart city that support “compact city plus network” concept

• Focus on existing urban area with incremental change

• District-scale governance is important

• Machizukuri (participatory community design) in smart city

• Methodology for effective participatory process to envision and implement smart cities/communities for decarbnization

• Value of real space (versus cyber space) in the context of smart city and COVID-19

• Redesign of public space and buildings with smart technologies

• New possibilities in sprawled areas and suburban areas > “fine-tuning” (not dramatic change) of “compact city plus network” structure and urban form

• Need to consider the new concept of zoning as a tool in smart city planning, not only smart infrastructure

• Time framework in urban planning: from “now, here” to long range planning