Community development that “opens up and connects” through the regeneration of public housing districts
Graduate School of Science and Engineering Department of Engineering Architecture and Architectural Engineering Program Sustainable Regional Planning Laboratory
Koyama Yusuke
- china
Background and objectives of activities
In the Amami Islands, the proportion of public housing owned by local governments is higher than in other regions for natural, historical and social reasons. With increasing resource and financial constraints, there are also areas where households requiring welfare support are concentrated in dilapidated buildings. In order for such public housing areas to be sustained and revitalized as places to live, it is necessary to re-examine the role of housing within the context of the wider community, and to have a methodology and philosophy that can involve a diverse range of actors as part of community development.
Summary of Activities
In 2023, we held discussions with the people involved, assuming the reconstruction of the largest public housing complex in China Town. During these discussions, we discovered the potential for collaboration with the facilities used by people of different generations that are scattered around the housing complex. We therefore proposed a walking path that would create a spatial connection with the surrounding facilities, with the focus on buildings and open spaces that are designed to be used by people from outside the housing complex. We are also considering the layout and shape of the housing, making use of the site's elevation differences, so that the everyday view of the sea can be used to monitor elderly single-person households.
Expected Benefits
Based on the assumption that people's living needs will change, we will diversify the households living in the housing complex, and devise ways to manage the housing and common spaces, without providing housing in a uniform way. We will aim to regenerate the community into one that is socially sustainable, by focusing on such planning and management. In the process of achieving this, it is essential to have the participation and cooperation of various entities both on and off the island.