Page 470 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

440 Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

FIGURE 21.6 Japan’s compact city approach.

and welfare, urban revitalization, local transport, revising local facilities,
residential areas, and schools. The CCDAT’s role is to deliberate with the
specific local government concerning such matters as issues relating to the
relocation of local facilities. The CCDAT then integrates how to relate policies
(e.g., energy, transport, disaster resilience) into an overall package of institu-
tional reforms and fiscal measures to achieve greater densities in tandem with
better livability.
These plans are already guiding the relocation of hospitals, schools, elderly
care, and other public services, a relocation that in turn increases the coste
benefit performance of smart energy networks and inputs at the same time as it
reduces energy use. That reduction in energy use is achieved via the reduced
need for motorized (especially single-car) transport in favor of public transit,
cycling, and walking. The reduced spatial footprint of the community also
leads to less energy used to move water around, plus lower per capita costs to
maintain roads and other critical infrastructure, in addition to other energy
savings. This integration of spatial planning with energy has been underway
over the past 3 years and has linked most of the central agencies together,
enhancing the effectiveness of planning and spending through reducing
overlap and other sources of administrative inefficiency. 13 And the policy
support has led to a rapid increase in plans: between December 2014 and

13. An explanation of the Compact-City Design Assistance Team and related institutions is
available (in Japanese) at the following URL on the MLIT’s website: http://www.mlit.go.jp/
toshi/city_plan/toshi_city_plan_tk_000016.html.