World Urban Parks Japan International Symposium 2021-The Role of Open Spaces to Enrich Our Life in New Normal-Wed, May 19 2021

Photo Courtesy of Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

The latest

07/28/2021

Q&A at World Urban Parks Japan International Symposium 2021 is posted here.

05/20/2021

World Urban Parks Japan International Symposium 2021 was held on May 19, 2021.

05/07/2021

World Urban Parks Japan International Symposium 2021 has been moved to ONLINE-ONLY format due to extension of the state of emergency.

03/31/2021

Registration for World Urban Parks Japan International Symposium 2021 opened.

03/17/2021
One of Panelists has changed.
02/01/2021
The website of World Urban Parks Japan International Symposium 2021The Role of Open Spaces to Enrich Our Life in “New Normal”- has been launched. The registration will open in early March, 2021.

IFPRA Japan 30th Anniversary & World Urban Parks Japan 5th Anniversary
World Urban Parks Japan International Symposium 2021
-The Role of Open Spaces to Enrich Our Life in “New Normal”-

Objective

 We are honoured to organise an international symposium that celebrates the 30th anniversary of IFPRAJapan and the 5th anniversary of World Urban Parks Japan.

 In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have witnessed drastic changes in our social lives, with an emerging movement to seek out a new society and new ways of living. Such transformations have also prompted us to newly appreciate the value of parks and green areas in the public domain.

 Based on these circumstances, the symposium will discuss what changes might affect the current state of public parks and other green areas and how we should shape future urban policy, in order to provide useful insights for both Japan and abroad from a broad range of perspectives.

 *IFPRA: International Federation of Parks and Recreation Administration

Date & Time

【Day 1】Wed, May 19 2021 12:50-17:30

International Symposium (Hybrid symposium)
(1) Onsite : Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center (Hyogo, Japan)
(2) Online
Maximum participants: 200

※The symposium will be held ONLINE ONLY.

【Day 2】Thu, May 20 2021 9:30- (The time is subject to change.)

Optional Tour : Awaji Flower Festival Self-guided Tour (No additional fees)
Venue:Awaji Yumebutai & Akashi Kaikyo National Government Park

※The optional tour has been cancelled because the symposium has been moved to ONLINE-ONLY format.

Program

【Day 1】Wed, May 19 2021

International Symposium
English-Japanese simultaneous interpretation will be provided.

12:50
Opening
Opening Remarks

Makoto Aruji
Chair, the Executive Committee of World Urban Parks Japan International Symposium 2021(President, World Urban Parks Japan)

13:05
Welcome Remarks

Toshizo Ido 
Governor of Hyogo Prefecture

13:10
Keynote Speech 1

The Revitalization of Minneapolis and Pittsburgh Park Systems
Jayne Miller
Chair, World Urban Parks / CEO & founder of Jayne Miller Consulting

13:50
Keynote Speech 2

Living in Space – From the Perspective of Daily Life and the Environment
Shin Yamada, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Chairman, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine

14:30
Break
14:40
Presentation 1

Enhancing urban resilience through green infrastructure
– Utilising green capital towards local community capacity building–
Rumi Sato
Executive Director, NPO birth/ Representative Director, Green Connection TOKYO

15:10
Presentation 2

What if your city was a National Park City?
Dan Raven-Ellison
London National Park City Founder

15:40
Break
15:50
Panel Discussion

The Role of Open Spaces to Enrich Our Life in “New Normal”
【Coordinator】Fujio Hirata
Professor, Graduate School of Landscape Design and Management, University of Hyogo
【Commentator】Tsutomu Bessho
Registered Landscape Architect, Senior Associate, James Corner Field Operations
【Panelists】Ryu Ono
Director, World Urban Parks / Director, World Urban Parks Japan/ President, Park Management Laboratory Co., Ltd.
Dan Raven-Ellison
London National Park City Founder
Rumi Sato
Executive Director, NPO birth/ Representative Director, Green Connection TOKYO

17:20
Closing Remarks

Toshimitsu Tachibana
Vice-Chair, the Executive Committee of World Urban Parks Japan International Symposium 2021(Director, World Urban Parks Japan)

17:30
Closing

【Day 2】Thu, May 20 2021

Optional Tour : Awaji Flower Festival Self-guided Tour (Awaji Yumebutai&Akashi Kaikyo National Government Park)

9:30- (The time is subject to change.)

※The program is subject to change.

Speakers

Keynote Speech 1 The Revitalization of Minneapolis and Pittsburgh Park Systems

  • Jayne Miller (U.S.A.)
  • Chair, World Urban Parks/ CEO & founder of Jayne Miller Consulting
  • 【Biography】
    Jayne Miller is the CEO and founder of Jayne Miller Consulting where she brings 35+ years of experience leading and managing parks and recreation agencies along with her dedicated work addressing diversity, equity, inclusion and access in the field over the past 20 years.
    2018-09- Present Chair of World Urban Parks
    2018-02- 2020-10 President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy (PPC)
    Jayne led the Conservancy’s work on the Restoring Pittsburgh Parks Initiative and the successful parks referendum on the November 2019 ballot.
    2010-11- 2018-02 Superintendent of Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB)
    Under Jayne’s leadership the MPRB was recognized by the Trust for Public Land as the #1 Park System six years running. Jayne successfully led the organization’s efforts in developing and implementing equitable investment strategies and the 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan.

Jayne Miller

【Presentation details】

Cities are facing unprecedented challenges – world-wide pandemic, unemployment, reduced revenues, budget cuts and reduced services, extraordinary park usage, and longstanding social unrest as a result of inequities across many sectors of society. These challenges require new ways of thinking, decision making and investment of public funds. Public parks and recreation services can lead the way to address these challenges.
In this session, Symposium attendees will learn how to revitalize park systems with equitable investments using data-driven and transparent decision-making based on Minneapolis and Pittsburgh’s equitable investment initiatives. Minneapolis has been implementing its equitable investment strategies since 2017 and attendees will learn about the impacts of those investments over the past 3 years. Symposium attendees will also hear about the work done in both cities to get residents outdoors safely during the pandemic, the results from those strategies and the impacts of park usage during the pandemic.

Keynote Speech 2 Living in Space – From the Perspective of Daily Life and the Environment

  • Shin Yamada, M.D., Ph.D. (Japan)
  • Professor and Chairman, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine
  • 【Biography】
    Dr. Yamada graduated from Keio University School of Medicine in 1997. After serving as a lecturer at Keio University, he worked at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) from 2010 to 2013, where he was involved in space biomedical researches and health management of astronauts. He moved to Kyorin University in 2013 and then become a professor of Rehabilitation Medicine in 2020. He has been in charge of the rehabilitation of JAXA astronauts as an expert in space medicine for 10 years now.

Shin Yamada

【Presentation details】

Astronauts are required to live in isolation within enclosed spaces. Moreover, in order to prevent the rapid deterioration of their health in a zero-gravity environment, they have to engage in daily physical exercise while making use of such limited spaces. In order to make space travel safer and realize missions to more distant destinations, it is essential to improve the quality of life in outer space, including both its physical and mental aspects. Research in the field of space medicine has greatly helped us to better understand the way our sedentary lifestyles and high-stress society result in lifestyle-related diseases and accelerated aging. This session introduces the current state and challenges of human space exploration in order to consider what environmental conditions are necessary for human life.

Presentation 1 Enhancing urban resilience through green infrastructure – Utilising green capital towards local community capacity building

  • Rumi Sato (Japan)
  • Executive Director, NPO birth/ Representative Director, Green Connection TOKYO
  • 【Biography】
    Rumi Sato is a graduate of the Laboratory of Forest Engineering, the Faculty of Agriculture, at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. She has engaged in sustainable community development aimed at human-nature coexistence through the utilisation of various types of green open spaces, including parks and private greenery. She is the founder of ‘NPO birth,’ which is the designated manager of 72 urban parks in Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolitan Parks of which management is entrusted to NPO birth have been ranked at the highest grade every year in Tokyo’s official urban park assessment, and NPO birth has received various awards in urban park competitions including the Minister’s Award from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. She is a co-author of The Future of Community Development through Park Management (Marumo Publishing, 2020).

Rumi Sato

【Presentation details】

‘Green infrastructure’ is an approach of utilising ecosystem functions to solve various social problems. What policies can we devise to best make use of ecosystem functions towards urban resilience, create seamless connections between green spaces, and facilitate communication between people by sharing green spaces? In order to consider the future of park management, this session examines liveable and sustainable community development practices in which parks bridge the gap between private and public sectors and between different standpoints and fields of practice.

Presentation 2 What if your city was a National Park City?

  • Dan Raven-Ellison (U.K.)
  • London National Park City Founder
  • 【Biography】
    Dan Raven-Ellison is a Guerrilla Geographer, National Geographic Explorer and founder of both the National Park City movement and Slow Ways. Daniel’s work focuses on challenging himself and others to see the world in new ways. He does this by combining creative exploration, geography and communication to tackle social and environmental challenges. While National Park Cities are about inspiring action to make urban areas greener, healthier and wilder, Slow Ways is a project Dan started to connect all of Great Britain’s towns and cities with walking routes. Dan is also an Innovator in Residence, film maker and children’s author.

Dan Raven-Ellison

【Presentation details】

In this thought-provoking and often challenging talk, Dan Raven-Ellison will share why he thinks many cities around the world should be transformed into National Park Cities. Founder of the campaign that led to London becoming the world’s first National Park City in 2019, Dan believes that by taking inspiration from rural National Parks we can make life better in cities. As well as sharing experiences from London, Dan will ask “what if your city was a National Park City?” and explain the key steps to become one.

Panel Discussion The Role of Open Spaces to Enrich Our Life in “New Normal”

Coodinator
Fujio Hirata
Professor, Graduate School of Landscape Design and Management, University of Hyogo
Commentator
Tsutomu Bessho
Registered Landscape Architect, Senior Associate, James Corner Field Operations.
Panelists
Ryu Ono
Director, World Urban Parks/ Director, World Urban Parks Japan/
President, Park Management Laboratory Co., Ltd.
Dan Raven-Ellison
London National Park City Founder
Rumi Sato
Executive Director, NPO birth/ Representative Director, Green Connection TOKYO
  • Fujio Hirata
  • Professor, Graduate School of Landscape Design and Management, University of Hyogo
  • 【Biography】
    Fujio Hirata graduated from the Landscape Architecture course at the Faculty of Agriculture, the University of Tokyo in 1982 and joined the Ministry of Construction (currently Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) where he was involved in park and open space management, urban planning and land-use administration at the ministry headquarters, the Regional Development Bureau and the Nagano prefectural office. After leaving the ministry in 1999, he entered the world of research and education. His research interests include urban planning and policy making to ensure “Green” in urban area through effective use of urban planning systems and projects with particular emphasis on citizen participation.

Fujio Hirata

  • Tsutomu Bessho
  • Registered Landscape Architect, Senior Associate, James Corner Field Operations.
  • Earned Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania and Bachelor of Agriculture degree from the University of Tokyo. Joined James Corner Field Operation in 2006.

Tsutomu Bessho

  • Ryu Ono
  • Director, World Urban Parks/ Director, World Urban Parks Japan/
    President, Park Management Laboratory Co., Ltd.
  • 【Biography】
    Ryu Ono worked as an oilfield engineer at the Middle East offices of Dowell Schlumberger company from 1985 where he acquired extensive project management experience. Since returning to Japan, he has participated in the planning of landscape projects such as Ushiku Joen (Usiku Cemetery) and Okinawa Bios Hill. After working as a researcher at Parks and Open Space Association of Japan and at other organisations, he established Park Management Laboratory in 2007. He is Executive Director of Park and Health Network Japan, President of Park Management Laboratory Co., Ltd., Director of World Urban Parks, and a co-author of The Future of Community Development through Park Management (Marumo Publishing, 2020).

Ryu Ono

Venue

【Day 1】 Wed, May 19 2021  Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center(1 Yumebutai, Awaji City, Hyogo, Japan)
Day 2】 Thu, May 20 2021  Awaji Flower Festival (Awaji Yumebutai & Akashi Kaikyo National Government Park)

【Day 1】Wed, May 19 2021  Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center

Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center: http://www.yumebutai.org/english/index.html

【Day 2】Thu, May 20 2021  Awaji Flower Festival(Awaji Yumebutai & Akashi Kaikyo National Government Park)

Awaji Flower Festival: https://www.awajihanahaku20th.jp/venue_awaji.html
Access to Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center: http://www.yumebutai.org/english/access/index.html

 

 

For more information about Awaji Flower Festival, Awaji Yumebutai & Awaji Island

Awaji Flower Festival
https://www.awajihanahaku20th.jp/

Awaji Yumebutai
https://www.yumebutai.co.jp/lang/en.html

Awaji Island Tourism Guide
https://www.awajishima-kanko.jp/en/

Registration fee

World Urban Parks Member Free
Non-Member 3,000 yen

Registration

Registration was closed.

Organizer・Co-organizer・Supporters・Co-Sponsors

Organizer:

The Executive Committee of World Urban Parks Japan International Symposium 2021

Co-organizer:

Executive Committee for Commemorative Events of the 20th Anniversary of the Awaji Flower Exhibition

Supporters:

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Hyogo Prefecture, Qualified Park Administrator Society,
Parks and Recreation Foundation, Organization for Landscape and Urban Green Infrastructure,
Parks and Open Space Association of Japan, Japan Park Facilities Association, Japan Landscape Contractors Association,
Japan Landscape Association, Japan Greenery Research and Development Center, Hyogo Parks and Horticulture Association,
Japan Landscape Architects Union, Consultants of Landscape Architecture in Japan

Co-Sponsors:

Hyogo Park Maintenance Promotion Council,
Hyogo International Association

Contact

World Urban Parks Japan
c/o Parks and Recreation Foundation
Edogawabashi Bldg. 2F, 1-47-12 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-0014, Japan
Tel: +81 3 6674 1188
Fax: +81 3 6674 1190
E-mail: worldurbanparksjapan [at] prfj.or.jp
※Please replace [at] by @, when sending a message to the above address.

About World Urban Parks & World Urban Parks Japan

*World Urban Parks
https://Worldurbanparks.org
*World Urban Parks Japan
/english/

page top