Research Trends and Results

Qualitative repletion of the public infrastructure
combining reconstruction and redevelopment ofpublic facilities
KIMURA Yusuke, Researcher (Dr. Eng.)KURIHARA, Masao, Head
Landscape and Ecology Division, Road Department(Key words) Redevelopment of road space, landscape formation, spatial planning, downtown and suburbs, linkages
1. Introduction
The increase in the number of deteriorated publicfacilities has been accompanied by a need for strategic
maintenance and qualitative repletion of publicinfrastructure. This means there is a growing need forthe creation of high quality spaces in order to form
good landscapes and living environments as part of theprocess of renewal and redevelopment of public
facilities.
When redeveloping road space in particular, it isnecessary to create public space linked to roadsidefacilities in order to form integrated landscapes andstimulate tourism, etc. And as shown by the Scenic
Byway Japan movement, diverse regional activities
are being undertaken nationwide centered on roads
from the perspective of their use. But linking multiple
projects that include roads and other facilities and span
the downtown and suburban parts of cities, and theframe work of road projects which effectively link
local activities to the formation of landscapes have notbeen fully proven, and methods of enforcing theLandscape Act and other policies to develop theformation of good quality space have not beenclarified.
This research will clarify project and system
operating methods and their effectiveness based on
innovations in project organizations and design, andmaintenance and utilization methods applied after
redevelopment in order to verify planning methods
which link road projects with related projects, and theactivities of concerned parties in city centers and insuburbs by looking at cases in which road space wasredeveloped.
2. Analyzing the road redevelopment cases andorganizing related system operations
For the survey, road and street redevelopment
project cases are collected for about 100 locations
nationwide in order to organize information andclarify actual state of redevelopment of road space.
And in order to stress clarification of recent trends inredevelopment and improvement points etc. webroadly consider scales and the process of landscapeformation (Table, Photo). These are systematicallyclassified in parallel with the study of specificstandards that can be applied to clarify the degree ofqualitative improvement.
And present systems related to regional activities
are organized. Focusing on the use of preservation
districts for groups of traditional buildings, civilengineering legacies etc. through initiatives such as
Scenic Byway Japan movement, challenges areorganized and methods which can link local people
over a wide range are studied.
3. Future development
Following the study conducted by collecting andsystematically classifying the above cases, based on
the detailed study of specified cases, methods ofcarrying out public works projects through linking
road projects with other projects, analysis of the urban
ripple effects, and formation of landscape in city
centers and suburbs by enforcing the Landscape Act
and other systems will be studied. And cases inoverseas cities will also be comparatively analyzed.
And as the final result, we want to support regional
development focused on roads by constructing a database and handbook which can be used to clarify
characteristics of each case.
Table. Systematic Classification of Road/Street
Redevelopment Cases and Sample Cases[1] Pedestrian-centered roads that are the facesof tourist regions[2] Station plaza roads that form the skeleton ofa city
[3] Commercial and shopping streets usedmainly by pedestrians[4] Creating open spaces[5] Improved use by constructing buildings
above and below roads[6] Integrated redevelopment by revising routedesignations[7] Road development linked to residential
district development[8] Improving section configuration bychanging the number of lanes etc.

Shinmondori Street in front of
Izumotaisha Shrine
Otemaedori Street in front ofHimeji Station
Marugame-machi shopping street
Soseigawa Park (Sosei Tunnel)
Ohashi Jct. on the Metropolitan
Expressway
Streets around the main buildingof the Dogo Hot Spring
Relocating on hills as part ofearthquake disaster restoration
Bicycle paths and on-road parking
areasBoundary of former sidewalk

Photo. Creation of Green Shady Space by Widening
Roads (Kobe: former foreign settlement district.
Corresponds to [3], [4], and [8] in the above
classification)