## (2) Forming a green urban environment

The MLIT is providing comprehensive support in financial and technical aspects, pursuant to the initiatives based on the “Green Master Plan” formulated by municipalities to properly respond to the global environmental issues, such as global warming and biodiversity preservation, and to aim at realizing green-rich city environment by preserving and forming a good natural environment. Specifically, the MLIT is promoting preservation of greenery by advancing the development of green-rich city parks using the social capital development general grant, etc., and utilizing the Special Green Space Conservation District Program, which aims to protect planting of greenery by restricting the construction of buildings or purchasing land, and the Citizen Green Space Program, which makes green spaces available to citizens under contract. Greening of private land is also being promoted through the Green Space System and the District Plan Greening Ratio Ordinance System. Furthermore, we are facilitating the conservation of multi-function agricultural land within urban areas through the Production Greenland Area System.

Along with holding events like national “Protecting Greenery” gatherings and National City Greening Fairs to gain public awareness regarding greening, MLIT is working on various measures such as awarding certificates of commendation for people promoting greening, as well as evaluating/certifying greening/green area conservation efforts by businesses.

## 2 Advancing Roads that Prioritize Pedestrians and Bicycle Riders

### a. Creating people-oriented, safe, and secure walking spaces

To achieve social safety and security, it is important to make people-oriented walking spaces that assure pedestrian safety. In particular, based on the results of an emergency joint inspection that was carried out in FY2012, we are advancing efforts to improve school routes used by children who walk to school. Schools, the Board of Education, road administrators, police, and other related organizations have worked together to implement traffic safety measures such as maintaining sidewalks, painting colors on curbs, and installing guardrails, as well as implementing joint periodic inspections based on the “School Route Traffic Safety Program” to ensure the safety and security of children through these enhanced measures.

### b. Creating a safe and comfortable cycling environment

Bicycles play an important role as an accessible means of transportation, but the number of bicycle and pedestrian accidents in 2013 increased compared to the previous 10 years, pointing to the need for a safer, more comfortable environment for cycling. In light of this, the MLIT is working on making the “Guidelines for Creating a Safe and Comfortable Cycling Environment” (November 2012, MLIT, National Police Agency) more widely known, so that each region’s road administrators and prefecture police are encouraged to work on formulating and maintaining bicycle network plans, reallocating road space, and enforcing strict adherence to traffic rules in order to create environments that make bicycle usage safe and comfortable.

### c. Developing quality walking spaces

The MLIT supports the development of pedestrian roads and rest facilities that create high quality pedestrian environments and that also tie together rich scenery and abundant nature with historical sites, in order to develop regions that are attractive and that promote health through walking.

### d. Developing road signs that are easy to understand

The MLIT is working on the installation of road signs that are easy to understand to help guide pedestrians who are in an unfamiliar place to their destinations.