Creating a Society in Harmony with the EnvironmentzApplication of Research Results

Formation of urban landscapes startingfrom urban parks– Creation of (Draft) Guidelines for the development and managementof urban parks with links to adjacent facilities, streets, etc. –Landscape and Ecology Division, Environment Department
HeadMasahiko MATSUE Senior Researcher Nobuaki KAGEMOTO

1. Background and development
In Japan, the “Three Landscape Greenery Laws”
were enacted in June 2004 with the aim of forming
beautiful and characteristic national land, creating richliving environments and giving individuality andvitality to local communities. Urban parks, as corefacilities for the formation of good urban landscapes,
are indispensable facilities for green and refreshingurban development. By linking related projects
together, it is expected that even better urban
landscapes can be formed.
To meet this expectation, departments in charge ofdeveloping and managing urban parks are also
expected to give due consideration to links with theareas around parks, adjacent facilities, etc., with a view
to forming integrated landscapes. However, ways ofachieving such links have yet to be identified, muchless evaluated. By researching good examples of this,
therefore, we have drawn up principles for effective
links with surrounding areas, adjacent facilities, etc.,
points to bear in mind, and other matters related to thedevelopment and management of urban parks.
2. Outline of the creation of (Draft) Guidelines(1) Compilation of case studies from Japan andabroad
We gathered and surveyed cases of good urban
landscapes, in which urban parks are integrated withadjacent facilities and their surrounding areas, are“open”
and“havebeautiful
neighborhood
characteristics”, mainly in urban areas. Of these, we
produced a compilation consisting of 20 domestic and10 overseas cases.
The compilation starts by giving an “Outline ofIntegration and Links with Adjacent Facilities, etc.”,
continues through “Outline of Urban Parks”, “Outlineof Adjacent Facilities, etc.”, “Main Steps When
Creating Links”, “Location and Landscape Status ofUrban Parks, Adjacent Facilities, etc.”, and “Content ofLinks”, and concludes with a data section.

(2) Study of principles for developing and managing
urban parks
Our (Draft) Guidelines bring together the principles,
matters to be borne in mind, and other issues when
promoting the development and management of urban
parks with links to adjacent facilities and surrounding
areas, as came clear in our analysis of case studies.
The Guidelines have been created so that urban
parks can make a greater contribution to forming goodurban landscapes through wide-ranging, diverse links
with adjacent facilities, etc. The aim is that local
authority departments in charge of developing andmanaging urban parks will use the Guidelines whenseeking ideas for diverse links in line with thecharacteristics of their respective areas.
The Guidelines consist of “Part 1: Steps When
Creating Links”, in which we indicate general mattersto bear in mind when forming good landscapes throughlinks, divided into stages; “Part 2: Links in Tune withAdjacent Facilities”,
in which we show thepoints to bear in mind
for each type of linked
adjacent facility; and“Case Studies”, acompilation of cases
from Japan and abroadthat will provide
useful reference forthese.
Photo 1 Greenery along
3. Publication of
Jozenji-dori, a case studyresultsThe
resultant in Sendai City(Draft) Guidelines were published under that title in“NILIM Material No. 542” in August 2009. They havealso been published as a pdf file on the NILIM website.
http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/bcg/siryou/tnn/tnn0542.htm

Application of Research Results(Key words) Urban parks, urban landscapes, Landscape Act, public facilities of landscape importance, public facilities