The legal process is complete, and we can now begin developing a community that solves social issues through innovation!
In May 2020, Fukuoka City surpassed an estimated population of 1.6 million. We reached that milestone eight years earlier than initially predicted. As the city grows, Fukuoka Smart East development is underway in the Hakozaki area, which is near both Tenjin and Hakata. Since our smart city effort launched, we have conducted many demonstration experiments, including showcasing self-driving buses.
We are now excited to share that the Hakozaki area's deconstruction will be completed by March 2021, meaning that the development of our futuristic smart city can start! In order to realize our goals for Fukuoka Smart East, we must collaborate with innovative startups and private companies that will contribute to building our vision of an ideal city. To further the region’s development and expand its possibilities, we completed the legal procedures required to ease community development regulations for the area.
Construction on Fukuoka Smart East, the town of the future, can now begin
Fukuoka Smart East aims to develop a model city that will make the region proud. Our smart city will continue to improve as time progresses and will always focus on solving social issues through innovation. The development will respect the area’s historical significance and tap into the charm of old-fashion towns. We will continually ask ourselves the question, “What kind of a town makes a good place for everyone to live?”
The grand design was created to shape a new type of town in the Hakozaki area. It presents many urban advancements, which require collaboration from the government and innovative ideas from startups and private companies. Fukuoka Smart East will be developed on the former Hakozaki campus site, as we have recently completed the necessary legal procedures that will allow us to create a town that solves modern challenges.
Innovative advancements that solve social issues
To make Fukuoka Smart East a reality, we need to attract businesses that can amplify the charm of Hakozaki and contribute to our vision of creating a city that will make us all proud. Our demonstration experiments have all aligned with this mission. Some examples of these demonstrations include a logistics experiment we conducted for automatic delivery via drone and a health and wellness experiment where medical care and online medication guidance were given using cable TV.
Deregulation that supports these future-thinking businesses is key to ensuring we can properly conduct demonstration experiments and see how they function in urban environments. Read on to learn more about the deregulation that has been approved for the area.
Now accepting building construction proposals
Under normal circumstances, stores, restaurants, offices, and hotels are limited to a floor area of 3,000㎡ or less, equivalent to about 7 basketball courts. However, we have been able to increase the regulations for this area so that stores and restaurants can be built up to 10,000 ㎡, which is about 24 basketball courts in size!
Additionally, if a proposal will clearly enhance how attractive the city is or make a significant functional contribution, further deregulation will be considered. As a result, businesses that focus on community development will be able to make more creative proposals than ever before.
Focusing not just on urban functions but also on living comfortably
This deregulation aims to introduce a variety of new and innovative projects that align with the grand design. We expect to receive proposals for new buildings as well as plans for roads and plazas for the surrounding area.
Maximizing Hakozaki’s charm through innovation
What kind of future is ahead of us? Updates are already underway in Tenjin, Hakata, and Hakozaki. Urban development means that Fukuoka will change more and more, taking advantage of the area’s positive qualities. Since Fukuoka City was declared a startup city, many young entrepreneurs and startup companies with unique technologies have chosen to come to the region. These innovators have united to form a strong startup movement. There is an excellent opportunity in Fukuoka to transform this movement into a cohesive smart city.
Demonstration experiments are necessary to validate how technology can be used within the smart city as well as to pinpoint the disadvantages that come with introducing the technology. We must be careful in developing our smart city to ensure it succeeds and results in an environment where innovative companies and startups can easily tackle challenges while retaining a startup city spirit!
