INSIGHTS

2019.09.11

R&D DISCUSSION Vol. 14

How to create public spaces with 100% occupancy rate
Research on Plaza Spaces Vol.2 [Part 1]

Yuko Yamashita Yamashita, Network creator, Hiroba-nist

R&D DISCUSSION TOP

Now, the effective use of plaza-like spaces is finally starting to take off in Japan. The second guest of our series "How to Use Plaza-like Spaces," in which we invite leading figures in this field, is Yuko Yamashita, who is known nationwide as a people and network creator and plaza-nist and is known as the initiator of Toyama City's "Grand Plaza," which has attracted attention from all over the country as a successful example of creating "liveliness" in the downtown area of a regional city.

Q: The Grand Plaza, a publicly-owned, privately-run, all-weather plaza, is approaching its 12th year since its opening. It hosts more than 100 events a year and is a place of relaxation for local residents. It also won the 13th Public Architecture Award (Living Facilities Category) in 2012.

A: I gave it a bold title, "100% occupancy rate," but I believe that the key to the success of the plaza is how it is used during normal times when there are no events. "Toyama City Downtown Bustling Plaza" [Slide 1] is full of people on weekdays, holidays, mornings, afternoons, and nights, sunny and rainy days. As long as there are people, the plaza is in operation, which means that we can confidently say that it has a "100% occupancy rate." This is also the subtitle of a book published in 2013. Grand Plaza is a "town square" that was created in September 2007 as part of a redevelopment project by Toyama City. Toyama City, which merged with other municipalities in 2005, is a city of 420,000 people, and redevelopment projects are very active despite its size. About half of the city tax is from fixed asset tax and city planning tax, of which 22.5% is from the central city area, which accounts for only 0.4% of the city's area. This redevelopment project was aimed at intensively investing in revitalizing the central city area and promoting active economic activity. Toyama City has also taken advantage of the merger of municipalities to work on "Kushi to Dango" (comb and dumpling) urban development, aiming to become a sustainable, compact city. The idea is to connect places where houses and shops are concentrated (dango) with public transportation (comb), and has developed 14 bases, including the centers of former municipalities, and revitalized public transportation connecting each of these bases. Toyama Prefecture is a car-oriented society, competing with Fukui Prefecture for first and second place in the country in the number of passenger cars owned per household, and public transportation had previously been in steady decline, but with the introduction of a next-generation light rail transit (LRT) and the re-networking of existing trams, route buses, and railways, compact urban development centered on public transportation is progressing. Right in the middle of this is the shopping district, Sokugawa Sogawa Grand Plaza is located in the area. It was created as a 1,400m2 urban vacant lot measuring 21m wide x 65m deep, and created as a result of a redevelopment project to build a department store building and a parking lot building. It was covered with a glass roof to protect against rain and snow, creating a "plaza" [Slide 2-5]. There are several reasons why Grand Plaza has a high occupancy rate, but I think that the two hard aspects of the project - 1) turning a prime location in the city center into a "plaza" and 2) putting a roof over it - were the starting points for success. The usual facilities are about 100 tables and chairs that are left out, and a 277-inch large screen. Since it is basically an empty space, the plaza is unlikely to be the main destination, but since it is located between two necessary facilities, a long-established department store and a huge parking lot, it becomes a passing point for many people. The first point is that the plaza connects the two buildings and is a "passageway" that protects against rain and snow [Slide 6]. The original plan was to have the department store building and parking lot adjacent to each other, with the plaza developed as a backyard, but if that had happened, I don't think I would be here today (laughs).

Also, when trying to increase occupancy rates, we tend to think only about weekends, but if we define "bustling" as "number of people staying x length of stay" as defined by Danish architect and urban designer Jan Gehl, it is very effective to increase the number of users on weekdays, which are five days a week, rather than on weekends, which are only two days a week. So, who can stay in the square during the day on weekdays? If you think about it, it is parents with preschool children, the elderly, and people who are so-called transportation vulnerable. In that respect, this is a transportation hub that is the "key" of the region, and is easily accessible not only by car but also by public transportation. There is an LRT station right in front of the square. The combination of public transportation and a public square, where anyone can go when they want, is important.

[Slide 1] Toyama City Downtown Bustling Square, Grand Plaza
(Opened: 2007 / Designed by: Nihon Sekkei / Square size: approx. 65m x approx. 21m)
Upper left [Slide 2] Site condition before development Upper right [Slide 3] Site condition after development
Bottom left [Slide 4] City road before development ① Bottom right [Slide 5] After development. Urban vacant land created by setbacks and rerouting of city roads due to the redevelopment project.
[Slide 6] The passageway connecting the two necessary activity facilities will be a plaza. The plaza does not function alone, but is a space that connects the inside and outside, so it is important that the contents of each space seep into each other. The nature of the boundary wall is important.

Q: What is the secret to your success on the soft side?

A: There are two main points: ③ to make it as free as possible as a "square" and ④ to collect the usage fee properly. For two and a half years after opening, we conducted a social experiment of operating it directly under the city. Grand Plaza is neither a park nor a road. It includes a replaced city road, but the road designation has been removed and a new ordinance has been created to manage it. The "Toyama City Downtown Lively Square Ordinance" also has as few prohibitions as possible and is as free as possible. The usage time is from 10:00 to 22:00 in principle, but it is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We will be as flexible as possible to respond to anything that we think is good for revitalizing the city center. At first, there were only three office staff, but we called it the "Grand Plaza Operation Office" rather than the "Grand Plaza Management Office," and we were willing to watch over the users as they made the rules on their own initiative. In fact, the year after opening, in the fall of 2008, the Lehman Shock occurred, and the vitality of the entire town was fading. In the midst of this adversity, we had the opportunity to thoroughly discuss with the city hall and office staff what kind of plaza should be for the citizens and the town, and how we could operate it with a small staff. The catchphrase that we still use today, "A place to meet happy people. A place to encounter fun things," was something we came up with ourselves over the course of more than four hours.

The usage fee for "exclusive use" of the entire square or half of it for an event is 36,000 yen for 4 hours of "half" use on weekdays, and 200,000 yen for full-day use of the "full" area on weekends. This amount may seem high for a rural area, but 200,000 yen is an amount that even individuals can imagine. Above all, event organizers who can pay the usage fee have the ability to attract customers. This is also one of the points to increase the utilization rate. Incidentally, for "activity use" such as street live performances and mobile food trucks, the fee is 1,200 yen for 4 hours on weekdays and 5,000 yen for full-day use on weekends. The usage fee income target of 13 million yen has been exceeded every year, and I have heard that it reached 16 million yen in the 10th year since opening [Slide 7].

[Slide 7] The operation cycle of the Grand Plaza. The plaza will be the center of the town's activity, a base for walking around the town, and a source of information for the town, and will have a continuity.
[Slides 1-7: Provided by Grand Plaza Office]
Continued in Part 2

PROFILE

People and network creator, Hiroba-nist

Yuko Yamashita

Yuko Yamashita

Born in 1974. Director of the National Machinaka Hiroba Research Group and director of the NPO GP Network. Moved to Toyama in 1999 and involved in planning and producing theater and art-related events. Has worked at the Grand Plaza Management Office since 2007. Completed the 21st National Regional Leader Training Course run by the Regional Revitalization Center General Incorporated Foundation in 2009. Has been in charge of Machizukuri Toyama Grand Plaza Co., Ltd. since 2010. Director of the NPO GP Network since 2011. Became an independent hiroba nist in 2014. Has since been involved in creating machinaka hiroba in cities across the country, including Hachinohe, Toyota, Senboku, Kobe, Akashi, and Kurume. Wrote the book "Nigiwai no Ba Toyama Grand Plaza: How to Create a Public Space with a 100% Occupancy Rate" (Gakugei Publishing/2013).

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R&D TOP

Update : 2018.09.21

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