Toward the Harmonization of Urban Development and the Environment in Nihombashi, Tokyo

ABSTRACT: Nihombashi is located in the central area of Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo has been the Japanese capital since the Edo period which started approximately 400 years ago, and has accepted a variety of cultures, human resources, businesses for the last 400 years. This has resulted in building up the present prosperity. The Sumida River, one of the symbols of Tokyo, and its tributaries including the Kanda River and the Nihombashi River flow through the Nihombashi district. The river and tributaries used to benefit to the City of Edo. Due to the economic development and the industrial growth in Tokyo, however, they were contaminated and lost their functions. In 1960s, approximately 40 years ago, the Sumida River became so rotten that local citizens kept away from it. The Nihombashi River was covered with an expressway, which was obscuring the river view. Since 1970s, construction consulting engineers have proposed to rehabilitate rivers in Tokyo successively, and have proceeded with measures for river floods, improvement of sewage systems and construction of water purification facilities. Consequently, the quality of the river water was considerably improved in 1990. The stagnant rivers were turned into ones that local citizens were physically able to come close by. Today, to restore the environment and the appearance of the city in the old days, Nihombashi area has been proposed as a model city of the future, which is alive with history and culture and harmonizing with rivers. The concept is “To Create, To Reserve, To Restore.” This paper will introduce a case study of the urban development, in which the construction consultants and local communities collaborated and proposed a brand-new style of the urban city harmonizing with the environment