We Are Tomodachi Japan and Russia Edition 2017

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6Feature: Eight-Point Cooperation Plan Bears FruitOne of the items in the eight-point cooperation plan is “developing comfortable and clean cities easy to reside and live in.” Japan, having Tokyo and many other metropolitan cities, has faced a diverse array of issues related to urban development. Russia, similarly, has been facing these issues as well. By utilizing its experience and expertise, Japan hopes to help tackle these issues Russia faces today. Under the auspices of both governments, some of the cooperation has already kicked off—a strategic urban development plan is being developed in Vladivostok, and a pilot project is underway in Voronezh.Vladivostok: Creating Urban Development Strategies Aiming to Cultivate New IndustriesVladivostok is a major metropolitan city, home to the Far Eastern Federal University with over 40,000 students. Recently, the city has been suffering from a decline in population, particularly the young generation. Although the city has a sizable influx of students, it has not been able to retain them post-graduation. The city must offer places to work in order to stop the outflux, thus it is critical to bring in new industries. Japan’s Nikken Sekkei Ltd. is leading the creation of a strategic urban development plan that Envisioning a New Future for Russian CitiesRyuichi Kizumi, of Nikken Sekkei Ltd. Project Development Department (right) and Nikken Sekkei Research Institute Principal Consultant Shigehisa Matsumura, Ph.D. (left). Concept diagram of new urban structure proposed by Nikken Sekkei Ltd. to Russia’s Agency for Housing Mortgage Lending (AHML) to cultivate new industries. The layout features the dispersed cores.Heavy traffic in the city center is one of the pressing issues that need to be resolved in Vladivostok.Photo: Lonely Planet Images/Getty ImagesNew CentralBusiness DistrictNewCreativeHubCultural &Business HubNew Urban Structure in Vladivostok