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Urban Design reconsiders Built Environment from the human point of view, beyond the boundaries of architecture, civil engineering and landscape specialized for quantitative satisfaction of Housing and urban infrastructure in the era of rapid population growth.
We consider and redesign the relationship between “User” and “Environment” in urban space. In order to improve that relationship, we design urban space and research institutions, methods and processes to realize it.
We carefully understand the topography and history accumulated in the urban space and keep looking at the reality occurring in the city to find the research subjects of urban design.
Our laboratory explores the ideal way of urban space to respond to major social changes such as depopulation. We currently investigate Legacy cities in the United States such as Detroit, Flint and Youngstown which already experienced large scale Urban shrinkage. We also investigate the formation process and actual condition of industrial cities in Western Japan where future population decrease is expected.
We are interested in Privately Owned Public Space (POPS) created by private urban development, actual use of public spaces indoors, relations between public spaces and parks and streets. Using the experience the professor engaged in private urban development, we will consider the evaluation of the quality of the public space and the issues of the system of urban renewal in Japan. In addition, the laboratory will carry out practical investigations and activities in cooperation with various entities in Central Business District of Fukuoka.
Regeneration of abandoned industrial sites (Brownfield) and inner harbors which have lost their logistics functions are common issues for developed countries. We explore methods of design management based on complex issues such as utilization of industrial heritage, restoration of waterfront and urban relations, application of innovative use of those areas.
Even if it seems to be an urban area without features, every urban space has passed through various forming processes and has reached the present form. To carefully read out the formation process of the town and to learn the principle of space composition are keys to identify the basis of urban design for future.
