Towards a New Society Brought About by the Coronavirus: Towards Green Wellness Cities Where Nature and Urban Life Coexistence are Needed

The idea that green public spaces, such as parks and green areas, should be developed in cities with a certain hierarchical structure was first proposed and implemented in the 19th century, when urban environmental problems came into focus, with Howard proposing and implementing the Garden City in England and Olmsted proposing the Park System in the United States.
In Japan, since modernization, green spaces have been created and preserved in various forms as public urban areas. During the period of rapid economic growth, from the perspective of pollution control and environmental protection, obligations and incentives for the installation of green spaces on private land also began. Currently, there is an even greater demand for improving the quality and quantity of green spaces in cities as a measure to prevent the urban heat island effect and to enhance the quality of the urban landscape.
Amidst these circumstances, it is believed that the changes in urban residents' lifestyles and behaviors brought about by the development of ICT will be further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the increased interest in wellness is expected to lead to a greater expansion of the use of outdoor and semi-outdoor public spaces.
The health benefits that natural elements such as greenery, water, and light have on people's minds and bodies in urban areas have already been extensively studied academically and empirically. Furthermore, it is undeniable that lush green environments enhance human productivity and creativity.
Going forward, the perspective of creating "green wellness cities" centered around these kinds of lush public spaces will become crucial for urban development in all areas.

In order to create this "Green Wellness City," it is extremely important to focus on "greenery as infrastructure" and to highlight it as the heart of the city.
Beyond the network of parks and green spaces, it is necessary to actively incorporate natural and urban elements into civil engineering spaces such as roads, rivers, retention ponds, and former railway tracks, and to rethink them as urban activity infrastructure and health promotion infrastructure. It is believed that the framework of a wellness city will be created when not only residences but also small workspaces, shops, facilities that support local culture and interaction, and plazas are developed along these "green infrastructures."

Similar changes are predicted in the spatial and functional configuration of cities. For example, as central business districts become more multi-functional and complex, the factors determining their value will likely shift to the amenities of the entire district's environment—that is, the design value of public spaces such as walkability and the quality of greenery—as well as the cultural and industrial environment the district provides.
Furthermore, in suburbs and regional cities, it is expected that business spaces will concentrate in locations that are close to daily life and offer high levels of amenities. Specifically, we can expect to see the emergence of "micro business districts," which are small-scale, mixed-use urban industrial areas where various urban functions and natural elements are intertwined, in the centers of suburbs and regional cities, or in multiple locations. At the heart of these districts, there will inevitably be green, human-scale plazas and streets that serve as centers of activity and interaction.

Nikken Sekkei was involved in creating the master plan for the "Innovation Campus" area in Kashiwanoha. This mixed-use development area, which combines residential and commercial spaces, places a relaxing water and green space at its center and can be described as a type of "micro-business district." This kind of green-centric, mosaic-like urban development is surely what cities should truly aspire to in the future.

"Green Wellness Cities" aim to enhance social well-being through the coexistence of nature and urban life. We intend to continue communicating its lasting value to society through concrete proposals.

* "Beyond Covid-19: Society, Cities, and Architecture" is a series. Going forward, architects, planners, engineers, consultants, and others will regularly share their visions from their respective professional perspectives.