4th Global Summit of Research Institutes for Disaster Risk Reduction Kyoto, Japan, March 13-15, 2019

A geodesign workshop on alternative futures in Yosano Town, Kyoto Prefecture

Kazumasa Hanaoka1,2, Keiji Yano1,2 and Go Tanibata1

1Institute of Disaster Mitigation for Urban Cultural Heritage, Ritsumeikan University (58, Komatsubara-kita-machi, Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan 603-8341)

2Department of Geography, College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University (56-1, Tojiin-kita-machi, Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan 603-8577)

SUMMARY

Geodesign is a conceptual framework to design future plans in collaboration with local stakeholders and professionals. It is used for collaborative and map-based decision support. Our poster presentation will introduce a geodesign workshop for Yosano Town, Kyoto, which was held on 23-34 November 2016 at our institute. Main agenda of this workshop was that “How can we design depopulation area with the geodesign framework?”. Around 30 researchers and students from different disciplines attended the workshop. “Geodesign Hub”, web-based geodesign tool, was provided to evaluate current condition of the study area and discuss alternative land-use layouts in 2040. Keywords: geodesign, collaboration, geographic information system, Yosano Town

WHAT IS GEODESIGN?

Geodesign, proposed by Professor Carl Steinitz in Harvard University, provides a conceptual framework to design future plans of study area collaboratively with local stakeholders and professionals. GIS and ICT together support various map operations. As Figure 1 shows, geodesign framework iterates six models/questions from representation models, process models, evaluation models, change models, impact models to decision models until arriving at a consensus about future land-use layout. It is used for collaborative and map-based decision support.

Figure 1. Geodesign framework (Steinitz, 2012).

OUTLINE OF GEODESIGN WORKSHOP

Aim: A geodesign workshop held on 23-34 November 2016 at our institute, Ritsumeikan University. Main agenda of the workshop was that “How can we design depopulation area with the geodesign framework?”. Approximately 30 researchers and students from different disciplines attended the workshop (Figure 2). Study area: Yosano Town, a famous location for silk weaving industry, has been facing with population aging and decline since 1970s. The population size was 23,166 persons as of March 2016. According to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, population size of Yosano Town will shrink further from 23,000 to 15,000 by 2040. The town needs to be revitalized by developing and re-allocating various resources while protecting historical landscape and reducing risk of natural hazard. Approach: A web-based geodesign tool called “Geodesign Hub” (https://www.geodesignhub.com/) was provided to participants for evaluating current status of the study area and alternative land-use layouts in 2040 based on future scenario. We basically conducted analysis step by step based on the geodesign framework.

Figure 2. Photos from geodesign workshop.

Hanaoka et al., A geodesign workshop on alternative futures

OUTPUTS OF GEODESIGN WORKSHOP

After identifying representation models and process models, participants were divided by team to produce evaluation maps for nine types of risk and attractiveness factors. Study area was graded on a 5-point scale: feasible, suitable, capable, not appropriate and existing (Figure 3). Risk of natural disasters such as earthquake, landslide and flooding could be included in evaluations.

Figure 3. Evaluation maps.

Afterwards, in the change model, six teams were organized; three teams for Kaya, Nodagawa and Iwataki areas and other three teams for environmental, economic and social aspects. Each team discussed future scenarios and designed new alternative land-use layouts while taking attractiveness and risk of the study area into consideration. New land-use layout proposed by the six teams were presented in Figure 4. At the end of this workshop, six teams gave the final presentations of their proposed future design plans in front of the mayor of Yosano Town and the participants. They decided to integrate them into the final plan for Yosano Town 2040 (Figure 5)

FINAL REMARKS

In this workshop, geodesign was applied to create a future land-use layout of Yosano Town. In recent, collaborations among a large number of geodesign study groups around the world have just started. Also, we have organized similar workshops about reconstruction in Tohoku region and historical and cultural landscape in

Kyoto. The former practice is particularly insightful for designing new resilient town against natural disasters. As a conclusion, geodesign framework provides a set of scientific, collaborative, and participatory approaches for mitigating conflicts (e.g. preservation v. development, disaster risk v. convenience) and designing alternative futures of a study area.

Figure 4. Proposed new land-use layouts by team.

Figure 5. Final plan for Yosano Town 2040.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to the Institute of Disaster Mitigation for Urban Cultural Heritage, Ritsumeikan University for providing research funding.

REFERENCES

Steinitz, C., 2012, A Framework for Geodesign: Changing Geography by Design, Esri Press, New York.