CPIJ
News Letter

Published by: The City Planning Institute of Japan
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URL: http://wwwsoc.nii.ac.jp/cpij

Edited by: The City Planning Institute of Japan,
Kansai Branch

No.23 March 2005

URL: http://www.cpij-kansai.jp

Global City Planning Actions and Programs from Kansai Region
Table of Contents
1. International Exchange Activities of Kansai Branch
2. Planning Proposals to Ping Yao
2-1. Restructuring of the Transport System and Conducting of Life Style Survey
2-2. Introduction of Conservation Survey and Planningon a basis of Architectural Typology
3. Tourism Development and Environmental Management in Hawaii
3-1 The Marquee Strategy of Hawaii – The International Tourist Resort
3-2 Coastal Zone Environmental Management
3-3 Shopping Centers of Waikiki, Honolulu

1. International Exchange Activities of Kansai Branch
Akiharu KAMIHOGIThe Chair Kansai Branch, International Exchange Committee

International exchange activities of CPIJ Kansai
Branch started in 1997, the third year after its establishment. Main components of the activities are research exchange meetings with various foreign countries and overseas study visits. Once every year, a lecture by a city planning expert from overseas, followed
by a discussion session, is planned, and a study mission
is sent out to southeast Asia to deepen the relationship.
Here, let us look back on the history of our exchange
activities.
The first exchange activity, which happened in August 1994, was an informal gathering for discussion on
the city planning of Shanghai with Chinese City planning experts living in Kansai. In November of the sameyear, a study visit on Shanghai city planning wasconducted (with 12 participants), and the branch levelexchange between Shanghai City and Osaka Bay
Metropolitan Area on city planning and city improvement started. Since then, exchange activities withMalaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, China, Mongol, Vietnam,and Hawaii developed with consideration to each regional characteristics. In 1995, a research exchange
meeting was held regarding the situation on the coexistence of multiracial groups in Malaysia and the active
on-going city development. In the following study visit(with 7 participants), a discussion was held with people
from the Department of Urban and Country Planning ofMalaysia on the new phase of urban and country
planning. In 1996, taking up Taiwan cities as examples,
an exchange student from Taiwan presented a report onhow feng shui concept is reflected in the planning ofTaiwan cities. Following that, a study mission to Taiwan (with 7 participants) confirmed the actual situationand discussed with the Department of Urban Development, Taipei City Government, about the recent
moves in Taipei city planning. Taking up Indonesia as
an example, the theme of the research exchange in1997 was globalization and urban development insoutheast Asia. The study mission (with 12 participants) attended the seminar on “the Development ofStructural Environment in 2020’s” at Universitas
Gadjah Mada in which they gave a keynote speech.
Also on the same year, we accepted a mission from theCity Planning Institute of China and guided the cities in
Kansai area. In 1998, the study mission (with 12 participants) visited to see the situation of open cities insouthern China and Hong Kong after its return to China.
The mission also attended Xiamen City Planning
Seminar. In 1999, although the study visit was notconducted because of the preparation for the International City Planning Symposium in the following year,
an exchange meeting on German city planning washeld. In 2000 and 2001, the mission visited socialiststates of Mongol (with 10 participants) to study thetransition to democratic regime and the settlement ofnomads to the city (Ulaanbaatar) and Vietnam (with 6participants) to see the urbanization caused by rapid
economic development after Doi Moi Policy (Ho Chi
Min and Hanoi). Also, at the National University ofVietnam, Hanoi, the mission gave a lecture and exchanged ideas on “Aquatic Environment and Cities”
and sought potentials on improving city environment.

In 2002, the mission visited Xian, Ping Yao, and Peking (9 participants), and discussed the preservation
plan of traditional landscape with officials of Shanxi
Province and planners from the University of Peking.
In 2003, the mission visited Honolulu, the tourist-attracting city, and studied the tourism initiatives
and coastal environmental management (with 6 participants). We received explanation on the development
history and tourist-attraction schemes of theworld-known coastal resort Waikiki, and exchanged
ideas on the future of tourist cities, as well as land use
and landscape management in Honolulu.
As explained above, Kansai Branch has been very
active in international exchange programs; however,the past exchange cities are mostly selected fromcountries where we have previous connections, likeexchange students.
Thus, in order to promote more active international
exchange, it is imperative to strengthen the networkwith foreign planners and exchange students living in
Kansai area. Furthermore, more stepped in exchange isstarting. For example, after the visit to China in 2002, a
specific proposal for the regeneration of historicalcities was discussed, and the proposal was presented tothe hosting country. Even though there are many
common issues such as global environment, it is becoming more and more important to utilize the uniquenatural, social and historical characteristic of each cityand to share wisdoms at the local levels in order tosustain cities in their healthy state. That is the meaningof the branch level international exchange of CPIJ
Kansan Branch.

2. Planning Proposals to Ping Yao
2-1 Restructuring of the Transport System and Conducting of Life Style Survey
Michihiko Sato

City Planning Division Planning and Coordination Bureau Osaka City

(1) Current Condition and Issues of Ping Yao
Landscape of Ping Yao: Ping Yao City in Shanxi
Province, China, is a castle town that retains the oldcastle (Gu Cheng) in one of the most complete state.
The city still retains the traditional landscape of Min
Qing Era. The basic shape of present day city blocks
was formed in the latter 14th century, in early Min
Dynasty. The city wall coated with clay is 1.5 km inlength and 12m in height. There are 3,800 traditional
private houses within the wall, more than 400 of them

reported to be in good condition.
Ping Yao was registered as World Cultural Heritagein November 1977. Since then, strict zoning based on
Gu Cheng Preservation Plan is implemented by law,and systematic management is practiced.
Absolute Protection Zone targets important structures
such as City Wall, Wenmiao, and City Tower (thesymbol and the landmark of the city that functions also
as an observatory). First Rank Protection Zone is forstreets and alleys in which the layout, form, and design

of traditional architectures are to be strictly protected.
In Second Rank Protection Zone (general protectionzone), the preservation of remaining traditional houses
is required while new buildings are required to harmonize with the traditional landscape. Lastly, there is
Third Rank Protection Zone (environmental coordination zone). Those zoning areas are designated to preserve and inherit the historical environment.
To this date, while the space improvement around
Gu Cheng and the rebuilding of the city gate are inprogress, historical buildings such as“Rishengchang”,
the first money exchange merchant in China, wereopened as paying tourist attractions along the mainstreet. And residential buildings are being converted tosouvenir shops and lodging facilities for tourists.
(2) Issues
In order to preserve and inherit precious landscape
heritage, it is rational for people to live and secure wayof living and at the same time to preserve landscape. Inthat respect, issues regarding the bases of residents
lives, such as securing of the income and improving theconvenience of daily life, can be organized as follows:- Improvement of living environment
Main street has turned into tourist site, but within thecity blocks, basic life infrastructure is inadequate,
old buildings densely standing on narrow streets, andwater and sewage problem still existing.
- Harmonizing preservation of historical landscape andimprovement of living environment
While historical landscape is preserved by law, adjustment with life amenity is an issue. Architecturalform, transportation mode, and improvement of life
style are some of the specific issues.
- Sophistication of Tourism
Although there is lacquer as a local product, most of

the shops are exoteric souvenir shops, only large innumbers and characterless. To promote new,value-added tourist-cultural industry, high income-generating entrepreneurship that is tied to thelandscape is needed.
(3) Proposal of Research- Research on Restructuring of the Transport System:Methods to Control Traffic- Introduction of zone system: Using 3 ax-streets, divide the city into 6 zones, each of which is approachedonly through one gate. Traffic that cross over theax-roads to move between zones are restricted.
- Parking; Place parkings outside the city wall. Disperse riding and loading spaces inside the city wall
based on a traffic survey.
- Ax-streets are to be made into pedestrian streets.
- Freight traffic for daily life are allowed with time
regulation(4) Research on the Changing Life Style- Description and inheritance of traditional manners
and rituals- Life style survey for the coexistence of tourism policy
and daily life
- Research on the changing life activities corresponding to the change in spatial structure- Restructuring of open space system corresponding tohuman life activities(5) Initiatives to Raise Funding- Introduction of visitor’s tax to be used on landscapepreservation- Place bus parkings outside the city wall and collectvisitor’s tax as parking fee- Collection of hotel tax

2-2 Introduction of Conservation Survey and Planningon a basis of Architectural Typology
Shigemori Kanazawa
Ping Yao is a castle city that retains Gu Cheng in oneof its most complete state. Especially traditional landscape of Min Qing Era still remains. Inside Gu Cheng
surrounded by the city wall, 3,800 traditional privatehouses remain, more than 400 of them reported to be ingood condition. With in the wall, zonings are desig-Dept. of Urban Environment, Osaka Sangyo University

nated to preserve and inherit the historical environment.
Absolute Protection Zone targets important structures
such as City Wall, Wenmiao, and City Tower. FirstRank Protection Zone is for streets and alleys on which
the layout, form, and design of traditional architectures
are to be strictly protected. In Second Rank Protection

Zone, the preservation of remaining traditional houses
are required while new buildings are required to harmonize with the traditional landscape. Lastly, there is
Third Rank Protection Zone (environmental coordination zone).
The houses of Ping Yao is a kind of Siheyuan that are
seen in many parts of China. Clear central axis and fourbuildings surrounding a court yard (yuanzi) form thebasic structure. The style in which two courts yards
called liyuan and waiyuan are placed along the central
axis, each comprising Siheyuan, is often seen. Generally, liyuan side is used as a private space for a family,
while waiyuan side is more complementary andsemi-public. The layout of the buildings and rooms
follows feng shui idea of orientation and the traditional
space order that respects ancestors and patriarchs.
As stated above, much knowledge on the Ping Yao’straditional architectural structure and their characteristic is already accumulated and city planning implemented accordingly. It is needed to preserve historicalenvironment and improve resident’s lives, as well as
promote tourism, all together at once. Thus, comprehensive and systematic research regarding the urban
space and living environment is needed. As an effective
method, I would like to propose a research using ar-chitectural typology that captures the city as an organicstructure. The architectural typology covers not only
the structure, the size, and the manner of a single
building, but by blocks or by city-size scale, it typologically recognizes and analyzes buildings, land divisions, and open spaces such as streets as a collective
whole. Furthermore it tries to analyze spatial structureof the city with regard to its residents’ social structure.
(Refer to Italian city research by S. Muratori, P. Maretto, and G. Caniggia). The architectural typology
reflects the region’s natural conditions, social andeconomic conditions fostered through history, and life
culture. A historical city like Ping Yao should be respected not only as a cultural asset, but an environmental asset that enables high quality of living withhighly-dense dwellings. And not only at the building
level, it enables the pursuit of theory on the formationand development of architectural typology at block andcity levels. Therefore, the result of study based onarchitectural typology will deepen the understanding of
the character and formation process of Ping Yao. At thesame time, it will give guide to the preservation, rehabilitation, renewal, and enlargement of the existingbuildings and provide norms of traditional design thatshould be respected or inherited to new buildings.

3. Tourism Development and Environmental Management in Hawaii
3-1 The Marquee Strategy of Hawaii, the International Tourist ResortMichihiko Sato

City Planning Division Planning and Coordination Bureau, Osaka City

As a result of a visit and interviews to the city ofHawaii on the background on Hawaii’s long-standing
reputation as an international tourist resort, it wasdiscovered that inherited natural resources and acquired strategic approach are the two reasons.
(1) The Bottom Line of the Resort Hawaii is WILDNATURE“Luxurious and glittering Waikiki Beach and its
surrounding area are advertised as the all of Hawaii inJapan, but the nature of Hawaii is in its refreshingclimate and natural resources of seas and mountains
that are ones of the greatest in the world. Those nature
is found in Hawaii Island. This is the stereotypicalimage of American Resort.”
A land of ever-lasting summer, with low humidity,

and dynamic and beautiful ocean in which you can fishlarge fishes. The Kilauea Mountain where many countries have built space observatories because of its stableclimate and high visibility. The view of lava that moves
slowly into the ocean. Being lava-made islands, theuntouched nature next to danger is used as a selling
point of Hawaii.
(2) Made Image of Hawaii as a Pleasant Tourist
Spot“The resort which originated from nature also has a
man-made aspect. In order to accept investments frommany parts of the world as a world-known tourist spot,
it emits real estate information.”- The artificial beach of Waikiki made by landfill seems
to be authentic, and anti-terrorism measures and secu-

rity system are thorough.
- Transportation is enriched with circulation buses
networked for shoppers, regular pedestrian heaven, andfalls and sculptures placed along beachside pedestrianpaths to add color to the pedestrian space.

- Recently, land owners’ personal information likenames and annual incomes are made open on theinternet to help the land purchase, sending a message toreal estate investors worldwide.

3-2 Coastal Zone Environmental Management
Akiharu KAMIHOGIGraduate School of Agriculture and Biological Sciences
Osaka Prefecture University(1) The Traditional Nature Management System
In Hawaii, traditional nature management systemcalled Ahupua^a System existed from 6th to the end of
19th century. Sharing of land and beaches, or skillfulusing of breeding ponds to cultivate fish and taro roots,
by a river basin unit heightened the productivity of thewhole river basin, nurtured the people of the basin, andpreserved the environment. Such traditional system
contains an important concept for the future of coastalzone environmental management. That is to say, thetotal management of land and sea, or the view ofmountains, rivers and sea as a singular system.

In Hawaii’s coastal management, the area within acertain distance from the coastline are designated as“Shoreline Setback Area (6 -32m)” and “SpecialManagement Area (90m)” for protection. Large development within these areas require permission, as
well as environmental assessment. However, in reality,
there was a long time when the management program
was not working in the segmented administration.
Hawaii Marine Resource Management Plan (1991) was
made under such situation. Public involvement wasemphasized in the drafting of the plan. Hawaii Marine
Resource Committee comprised of 6 government officials and 5 appointed private persons was formed, andTechnical workshops and public hearings were placed
under the committee. The system where private organizations and not-for-profit organizations can offer
proposals and information was formulated. In otherwords, the principles of the coastal management in
Hawaii are, while learning from the traditional system,“the protection of coastal zones” based on inclusive
preservation ethics with consideration to sustainable
development and appropriate resource allocation and“the comprehensive preservation” in which sea, coast,
shoreline and land are viewed in an interactive relationship. In Japan, Coastal Act was modified in 1999 toadd “environment” and “usage” in addition to “coastalprotection” to the objectives of the coastal management
for more comprehensive management. The principles
stated above give an important suggestion to the situation here.

(2) Present Conditions and Issues of Coastal Zone
Hawaii is made of molten-rock islands. Kilauea
Volcano in Hawaii Island is still active. Lava running
down the slope and blocking the road or making a lava
wall where it runs into the sea tell us of the fact. On therocky shoreline, marine plants like bayhops and beachnaupaka are grown; the black sand beach made fromcrumbled lava is a habitat for marine plants and also aegg laying area for sea turtles. Hawaii is gifted withnatural resources.
On the other hand, those natural resources are also
attractive as tourist resources. Hanauma Bay in Oahu isa coastal park where coral shelf is popular, but an excessive use has damaged the corals significantly. Now,
while the park use is maintained, the marine protection
zone is designated for the protection of corals, andprograms are made for the tourist education on environmental awareness. Time regulation, park closing
day, collection of admission fees are implemented tocontrol the number of visitors.

References:
1) Shinya, Miwa(2001): 沿岸域管理の展開-ハワイの事例と沖縄への適用-(3) Coastal Zone Management Plan

http://yoron.netbank.co.jp./okabe/20011019-Miwa.html

3-3 Shopping Center in Waikiki, Honolulu
Masahiro Shimada

Although nobody can deny that shopping and restaurants are one of the attractions of Hawaii, theenormous shopping centers that are built around Waikiki are astonishing.
Ala Moana Center, the biggest shopping mall inHawaii, Victoria Ward Centers, a large shopping area
which stands within 1km, and Royal Hawaiian SC, alarge-scale shopping center which stands within a radius of 3km(*1) -- as a person who live and work in thesuburb of northern Osaka, I cannot stop thinking
whether or not those band of shopping centers are
sound as a business.
In the late Saturday afternoon in Ala Moana Center,comprised of 3 core stores and a connecting mall withspecialty stores, shoppers were sparse on some floorsof the core department stores, but the mall, food court,
and well-known brand shops were bustled with tourists
and (probably) local people.
To examine the situation in which those shopping
centers manage, some data are collected for comparison.
Although Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii and 80%of the people live there, Oahu’s population is only
approximately 880 thousand. The annual visitors toHawaii is 6.36 million and 4.24 million (67%) of them

JAS Co., Ltdcome to Oahu (2002).
In other statistics, approximately 6 million people
visit Honolulu annually, and the money spent is 10.77
billion dollars (1,000,013,000,000 yen：105yen/$). The
visitors from eastbound (from Japan and Asia) andwestbound (mainland America and Europe) are about
the same in numbers. Westbound visitors stay in Hawaii 10 days in average and spend $160 per day, while
eastbound visitors spend 5.5 days in average, spending$300 per day (1997)(*2). It means there are 130,000 (6million x 8 days / 1year) staying population each day.
In addition, for Victoria Ward Centers, 300 thousand
population live within the 5 mile radius (8km) of thebuilding and possible sales amount is $4.2 billion (440billion yen)(*3).
By the way, the North Osaka’s “new capital,” Senri
Center, has the second largest commercial size in North
Osaka, and 600 thousand people live within the 5kmradius. It has the sales floor area that is approximately
40,000 square meters and the sales amount is 68.3billion yen (1997). The population is more than twice
but the difference in commercial size is obvious. It may
not be appropriate to compare, but the total retail sales
in North Ward of Osaka City is 662.7 billion yen, withrestaurant business 16% (*4) of the retail amount.
Compare to that, the commercial accumulation around
Waikiki is huge.
The daily average of 130 thousand tourist population
should enable such shopping centers of such size, it isstill unbelievable how big the consumption of thevisitors who come all the way from overseas.
*1 The adjectives for each SC are from “Globe Trotter TravelGuide” website.
*2, *3 From data on Victoria Ward Centers website. Total annual
sales of Hankyu Department Store (Umeda) is 208.8 billion yen(2000, Nippon Keizai Shinbun)*4 General restaurant sales/retail sales = 795 billion / 4,970
billion yen (1992, Osaka City)

Mall and Food Center of Ala Moana Center
crowded with tourist.

Reference:In Shirahama-cho, in which shirahama is the friendship beach of
Waikiki, annual visitors are 3.28 million (1999). The number isabout the half of the visitors in Hawaii, but only 1.99 million arelodgers (most of those are assumed to be one-night lodgers) and1.29 million return in a day; the effect on the economy is obvious.