Roppongi Hills in Tokyo is often mentioned as one of the largest and most successful city renewal projects that have ever been made after World WarⅡin Japan. The project started in 1984 and took about 17 years to complete. The plan involved the city government, the land developer Mori Building Co., and the residents living in the construction area. Just to reach agreements with 500 right holders, the company had spent over 15 years (“Roppongi Hills.”). The concept of the renewal plan seems totally opposite from that of Jane Jacobs, but there is a point in the history of this Roppongi renewal plan that is equivalent to her philosophy. Jane Jacobs’ idea regarding a local community in the city was accidentally realized in the process of building the Roppongi Hills half a century later in Japan.
Roppongi Hills are one of the largest and most gorgeous mega-complexes in Japan. They include offices, apartments, shops, restaurants, cafés, movie theaters, a museum, a hotel, a major TV studio, an outdoor amphitheater, and several parks. They are located in the Roppongi district of Minato Ward and cover 11.6 hectares of the area. About 20,000 people work in the offices, restaurants, and shops and 2,000 people live in the residential towers. On weekends, about 130,000 people visit the site (Matsutani). They feature many of the latest earthquake-resistant technologies such as damping walls, green mass dampers, and emergency power generator systems. They also have a self-sustaining cogeneration and water supply system so that they can function by themselves even when a big earthquake hits (“Safety and Security”). 25% of the site is covered with green, which eases the heat-island effect and makes the temperature in the area 2-3 degrees C l...
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...nt city redevelopment in Tokyo today.
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