cSUR-UT Series: Library for Sustainable Urban Regeneration – serie

In creating urban space, there is always an exchange of dialogue as to what the space currently is and how it ought to exist, by those who live in that place, those who have a stake in its future, and those who sense the need for improvement in its harsh reality. Some of their thoughts materialize in the form of a physical change to the current environment – and urban regene- tion is one such form. This process in which people redefine their living environment and socially reconstruct the meaning and value of a place is all too important in deciding what, if any, change should be introduced in the form of a physical project. Some might argue that this communicative process is indeed the very core or even the definition of urban regeneration rather than a mere condition for instigation. However, it has also been observed that such a communicative process is often difficult to manage, if it happens at all. Social exclusion, power imbalance, conflict, indifference, and lack of c- municative social capital are the usual suspects in collective inaction, but it is also true that they are familiar constituents of any urban life. In some social contexts, little attention has been paid to such complexity.

Part III, "Future of Urban Transport in Asia: Rising Asia Proposes to the World" discusses key issues and hot topics of study on sustainable city and transport for the future: development and management, travel demand management, growth management, site development strategies, and financial and institutional measures.

Various environmental issues are related to urban activities. Through the growing recognition of the necessity to develop sustainable urban mana- ment, the University of Tokyo established the Center for Sustainable Urban Regeneration (cSUR) in July 2003. A research program at the cSUR was designed to create an integrated approach and to provide knowledge for s- tainable urban regeneration with the aid of a global network of researchers and professionals, and to coordinate the international research alliance made up of leading academic institutions worldwide. As part of the program, several studies have been conducted focusing on urban environmental problems in Asian megacities such as Tokyo, Taipei, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Bangkok. The following topics in particular were selected for integrated and strategic research supported by researchers from the fields of architecture, civil engineering, and environmental engineering: –Integrated analysis of the urban atmospheric environment and its re- tionship with control of indoor air conditions in East and Southeast Asian countries –Dynamic behavior of urban non-point pollutants in coastal envir- ments The research contains interesting intensive field-monitoring data on the coastal environment and the urban air environment. Topics also include state-of-the-art environmental monitoring and simulation analysis in urban areas. Key aspects of the research in advanced monitoring and the appli- tion of environmental numerical simulation were selected for inclusion in this book. Integrating the monitoring and modeling of urban environments is essential for engineers to identify and investigate environmental problems and their solutions.

For the first time in human history, more than half the world’s population is urban. A fundamental aspect of this transformation has been the emergence of giant cities, or megacities, that present major new challenges. This book examines how issues of megacity development, urban form, sustainability, and unsustainability are conceived, how governance processes are influenced by these ideas, and how these processes have in turn influenced outcomes on the ground, in some cases in transformative ways. Through 15 in-depth case studies by prominent researchers from around the world, this book examines the major challenges facing megacities today. The studies are organized around a shared set of concerns and questions about issues of sustainability, land development, urban governance, and urban form. Some of the main questions addressed are: What are the most pressing issues of sustainability and urban form in each megacity? How are major issues of sustainability understood and framed by policymakers? Is urban form considered a significant component of sustainability issues in public debates and public policy? Who are the key actors framing urban sustainability challenges and shaping urban change? How is unsustainability, risk, or disaster imagined, and how are those concerns reflected in policy approaches? What has been achieved so far, and what challenges remain? The publication of this book is a step toward answering these and other crucial questions.

While the development of material civilization and industrialization initiated by the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century made possible a more comfortable life for mankind, it caused a concentration of human resources and led to rapid urbanization around the world. Consequently, a multitude of environmental problems such as global warming, disruption of the e- system, depletion of natural resources, and the accumulation of waste have become international issues. Urbanization accelerated the construction of super high-rise buildings, huge complex facilities, and stacked-up networks of roads and railways. At the same time, however, it resulted in crowded city blocks that were fragile and vulnerable to natural disasters such as ear- quakes, tsunamis, and floods, and in historical structures becoming ruined and cultural urban space exhausted. Maintenance and repair of the amassed stock of structures are causing an economic burden today. Against this background, the Urban Stock Management Research Group in the Center for Sustainable Urban Regeneration (cSUR) at the University of Tokyo has conducted research to develop integrated methods to maintain existing urban assets and to conserve the cultural/social context of urban environments. Urban stock management, such as conservation, utilization, and renovation, is vital for simultaneously supporting urban history, culture, changing lifestyles, and other conflicting elements. Therefore, new en- neering for renovation and utilization of urban stock is urgently required to maintain safety, the environment, and continuing comfort as well as to save natural resources and reduce wastes.

This book represents part of the result of a project undertaken by the C- ter for Sustainable Urban Regeneration (cSUR). The center was est- lished in 2003 by a research fund titled the 21st Century Center of Exc- lence (COE) Program provided by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. The project leader was Shi- chiro Ohgaki, a professor in the Department of Urban Engineering of the University of Tokyo. cSUR integrates the four specific fields of urban planning, architecture, civil engineering, and environmental engineering with the participation of over a hundred researchers of the university. The objective of the center is to create an integrated approach to, and knowledge for, sustainable urban regeneration based on a global network of researchers and professionals; and to coordinate an international research alliance that consists of leading academic institutions worldwide. The project was carried out by four research units: A. Environment Management B. Urban Stock Management C. Social Information Management D. Action Studies Each unit consisted of smaller subunits. The third unit, which includes the contributors to this book, consisted of three smaller groups: C-1) The Next Generation Geographic Information System Integrating Human and Social Information C-2) Decoding and Analysis of Historical and Cultural Information Concerning Urban Space C-3) Participatory Planning and Urban Space Management Support Systems

How should regional cities develop regional development strategies for their sustainable future? How can such strategies work effectively? Regional cities are now at a crossroads: will they decline or be regenerated under the impacts of globalization? Their sustainable regeneration as creative regional centers will play a decisive role in their sustainable development as a whole, but only with viable regional spatial strategies that strengthen the network of cities and their hinterlands. The concern here lies in urban regeneration and strategic spatial planning at the city-region level. This book records observations of 12 dynamically changing regional cities in Asia, Europe and the United States. The form of the city region, urban regeneration and strategic spatial planning as well as the local and regional governance of each city are examined. Through this empirical and comparative analysis, essential lessons are drawn, which will add a new perspective to discussions on the sustainable future of regional cities in an age of globalization.

All cities are vulnerable. They have economically, socially, institutionally vulnerable urban space. In developing countries, vulnerable urban space can be observed typically as substandard informal settlements such as slums or areas occupied by squatters. At present, slum dwellers comprise one-third of the world's urban population of 3 billion, and it has been estimated that the number of slum dwellers will double in the next 30 years if no effective action is taken. Improvement of vulnerable urban areas, which is one of the targets of Millennium Development Goals, is thus an urgent worldwide challenge in our age. This book combines empirical and comparative analysis of improvement of vulnerable urban space and post-disaster rehabilitation in Asian and Latin American countries. The discussions presented herein will serve as a useful, thought-provoking source for researchers, practitioners and students, especially for those who are working to alleviate the vulnerability of urban space.

The environmental aspect of cities is nowadays well recognized as a cri- cal element of urban development, management and regeneration. There are various environmental issues related to cities, and they have been a- lyzed in an individualized manner. Many types of technologies, such as wastewater treatment, have been developed to solve particular envir- mental problems. However, many of these problems are related to each other, and social and economic aspects are also important for urban reg- eration. A holistic view combining knowledge of various urban environmental f- tors such as water, heat, energy, air, materials and waste, and a practical approach based on such understandings are essential to manage contem- rary urban environmental issues, from a local scale to a global scale. The University of Tokyo has been conducting the 21st Century COE (C- ters of Excellence) Program on Sustainable Urban Regeneration. Transd- ciplinary courses have been offered for graduate students from the depa- ments of Urban Engineering, Civil Engineering and Architecture to present a holistic view of urban regeneration.This book is based on the contents of the transdisciplinary course on en- ronmental management and technology. I hope that its content will be u- ful for undergraduate and graduate students and for experts and policy makers in developed and developing countries. Shinichiro Ohgaki Project Leader, COE Program on Sustainable Urban Regeneration The University of Tokyo Contents Preface v Part I Water Environment 1. Water Management in Sustainable Buildings ...3 Motoyasu Kamata and Masayuki Mae

In 2007, the world's urban population surpassed the number of people living in rural areas and is still growing. The number of city dwellers who do not have access to piped water and rely on groundwater is also increasing. In many Asian cities, groundwater is not only the source of domestic water but also an important resource for industrial development, making better management of groundwater resources essential for sustainable development. Because groundwater is easier to access and costs less than water from piped systems, groundwater abstraction cannot be easily regulated. Policies for groundwater management adopted in Japan and other Asian countries are compared, and technologies for efficient use of groundwater are elucidated. Groundwater contamination is also a serious problem that exacerbates water scarcity in Asian cities. Case studies illustrate the cause and consequences of naturally occurring contaminants such as arsenic and fluoride, and groundwater contamination due to anthropogenic contaminants is described. Also discussed are technologies for treating contaminated groundwater to reduce the health risks of drinking contaminated groundwater.

Systems of transportation long ago developed out of the profound human need to connect and communicate. Transport today is still the only means for the physical movement of goods and people. Alongside the evolution of transportation and communication technologies, the astounding phenomenon of urbanization has taken place. Cities have grown faster and larger, absorbing vast influxes of dwellers who seek convenient and comfortable lifestyles with the required fast, cheap, and safe systems of transport. Of the world's megacities, with populations of more than ten million, over half are in Asia. While enjoying large-scale economic power, Asian megacities also face serious challenges. They suffer from too-rapid urbanization, with the resulting congestion, pollution, and destruction of traditional local cultures and industries. Written by experts from Asian academic institutes, this book addresses the urgent question of how to achieve sustainability in the still-growing cities of Asia. The chapters comprise the latest research and the application of promising measures, some already realized in Asia, that include urban transport system design and management, land-use control, city planning, and sustainability. Of vast import, this volume was written for students and researchers, planners and engineers, and all who are interested in sustainable urban environments.    Following is the structure and rough sketch of the contents of this book: Part I, "The First Step: An Overview" deals with Asian characteristics from natural, cultural, and economic viewpoints, and then describes how we should grasp the concept of urban sustainability in urban transport in Asia. Readers will understand various aspects of Asia as introductory and preparatory knowledge. Part II, "Best Practices from Asia with Wisdom: Keys to Success and Facing Limitations" will introduce actual comparatively successful and promising measures tried and realized in Asia. This part covers various cases from passenger transport to freight transport, from transport system design to system management, from engineering measures to people's participation, from traffic control to land-use control and site development. Readers will find an abundance of information and examples in this main part of the book. Part III, "Future of Urban Transport in Asia: Rising Asia Proposes to the World" discusses key issues and hot topics of study on sustainable city and transport for the future: development and management, travel demand management, growth management, site development strategies, and financial and institutional measures.

In creating urban space, there is always an exchange of dialogue as to what the space currently is and how it ought to exist, by those who live in that place, those who have a stake in its future, and those who sense the need for improvement in its harsh reality. Some of their thoughts materialize in the form of a physical change to the current environment – and urban regene- tion is one such form. This process in which people redefine their living environment and socially reconstruct the meaning and value of a place is all too important in deciding what, if any, change should be introduced in the form of a physical project. Some might argue that this communicative process is indeed the very core or even the definition of urban regeneration rather than a mere condition for instigation. However, it has also been observed that such a communicative process is often difficult to manage, if it happens at all. Social exclusion, power imbalance, conflict, indifference, and lack of c- municative social capital are the usual suspects in collective inaction, but it is also true that they are familiar constituents of any urban life. In some social contexts, little attention has been paid to such complexity.

For the first time in human history, more than half the world’s population is urban. A fundamental aspect of this transformation has been the emergence of giant cities, or megacities, that present major new challenges. This book examines how issues of megacity development, urban form, sustainability, and unsustainability are conceived, how governance processes are influenced by these ideas, and how these processes have in turn influenced outcomes on the ground, in some cases in transformative ways. Through 15 in-depth case studies by prominent researchers from around the world, this book examines the major challenges facing megacities today. The studies are organized around a shared set of concerns and questions about issues of sustainability, land development, urban governance, and urban form. Some of the main questions addressed are: What are the most pressing issues of sustainability and urban form in each megacity? How are major issues of sustainability understood and framed by policymakers? Is urban form considered a significant component of sustainability issues in public debates and public policy? Who are the key actors framing urban sustainability challenges and shaping urban change? How is unsustainability, risk, or disaster imagined, and how are those concerns reflected in policy approaches? What has been achieved so far, and what challenges remain? The publication of this book is a step toward answering these and other crucial questions.