PRINCIPAL POLICIES OF THE TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT

"TOKYO'S BIG CHANGE: THE 10-YEAR PLAN"

Eight goals and direction of policy

In order for the urban strategy to be effective, the following eight goals have been set for 10 years from now and a range of policies will be implemented to achieve them.

1.Restore Tokyo's beauty as a city of water and greenery

The waterside environment and greenery lost during Tokyo's rapid development will be restored and beautiful landscapes will be created to further enhance the overall value of Tokyo.

- Cool ocean breezes flowing through central Tokyo

Tokyo will create a green road network using roadside trees that links the Umi-no-Mori (green island), the provisional name of a man-made island park under development in Tokyo Bay, to Harumi, the Imperial Palace, Yoyogi Park, and other major plots of greenery in central Tokyo. It will also double the number of roadside trees in the metropolis to 1 million.
In addition, 1,000 hectares of new green spaces, equal to the total area of 1,500 football pitches, will be created with the cooperation of residents and corporations.

Encircle Tokyo with a green belt of parks, the Tamagawa River and Arakawa River

- Create beautiful urban landscapes to enhance Tokyo's value

Along with the formation of a green network, removal of utility poles will be promoted in cooperation with the local municipalities.
Attractive and gracious landscapes will be created through measures that include consideration of the view from the water, and cityscapes with a sense of uniformity will be developed by regulating the color and height of buildings and use of outdoor advertisements.

2.Transform Tokyo through the three loop roads

The development of the three loop roads will alleviate traffic congestion, which constitutes one of Tokyo's biggest weaknesses, Tokyo's international competitiveness will be enhanced, and by maximum utilization of the city's well-developed road network, Tokyo will become a more pleasant and livable city.

- Eliminate Tokyo's traffic congestion through the three loop roads

Traffic congestion will be alleviated with completion of about 90% of the three loop roads such as the Metropolitan Expressway Central Loop Route, and vehicular CO2 emissions will be dramatically reduced.

- Link land, sea, and air transport: Creating greater convenience, time savings, and more open spaces

By bolstering the land, sea, and air transportation and distribution networks, transportation costs will be reduced and speed increased. This will enhance the international competitiveness of Tokyo as well as the Greater Tokyo Area. The Tama area will be developed further as the hub of the Greater Tokyo Area by taking advantage of the completion of the National Capital Region Central Loop Road and the dual military and civilian use of Yokota Air Base.
Bus transportation will become more punctual and speedy through alleviation of traffic congestion, creating comfortable and highly convenient urban lifestyles utilizing the capacious road network.

Effects of development of the three loop roads

• Alleviation of traffic congestion
  • Traffic congestion at nearly all of the 600 main congestion points in the area encircled by the National Capital Region Central Loop Road will be alleviated.
  • Average traveling speed of cars in the Tokyo ward area during peak hours will increase from18.8 km/h in 2005 to about 25 km/h in 2015.
• Reduction of travel time
  • Travel time between Shinjuku and Haneda Airport will be reduced from 40 minutes to 20 minutes; and between Hachioji and Tsukuba, from 3.5 hours to 1.5 hours.
• Improvement of the environment
  • CO₂emissions in the Greater Tokyo Area will be reduced to 2 to 3 million tons/year (about 3 to 4% of Tokyo's total annual emissions)
• Improved efficiency in goods distribution
  • Transport costs will be reduced by about 10%
• Securing emergency transport routes
  • Enhanced disaster preparedness of the Greater Tokyo Area

3.Have Tokyo become the city with the lowest environmental load in the world

Tokyo will become the city with the lowest environmental load in the world by implementing measures such as utilization of the latest energy-saving technologies to address global warming and other environmental crises facing the world. These achievements will be shared with Asia and the rest of the world.

- Leave a thriving environment to our children through world-leading measures against the global warming

Tokyo will implement the "10-Year Project for a Carbon-Minus Tokyo" on a metropolitan-wide basis using cutting-edge energy-saving technologies, with a goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 25% from 2000 levels by 2020.
Tokyo will undertake pioneering initiatives to deal with global warming, and this ten-year project will be supported by establishing the "Promotion Headquarters for the Creation of Carbon-Minus City" within the metropolitan government as well as creating a "Fund to Promote Measures against Climate Change."

Bio-diesel fuel (made of vegetable oil, etc.) introduced to metropolitan buses		Solar power generation (Asaka Water Purification Plant)

4.Strengthen Tokyo's disaster preparedness to enhance credibility

Along with focusing efforts on measures against earthquakes, a challenge Tokyo is destined to face, anti-terrorism measures using the latest technology will be promoted to significantly enhance Tokyo's international reputation and credibility, creating a crisis resilient Tokyo.

- Create an earthquake-safe Tokyo

All of the buildings important for disaster reduction, including those along emergency transport roads, elementary and junior high schools, and hospitals, will be made quake-resistant. At least 90% of houses within Tokyo will be made earthquake-resistant with the aim of reducing estimated damages by one-half.

Streets blocked by collapsed buildings(Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake)

- Highly accurate and efficient anti-terrorism measures

Tokyo will ensure high levels of safety and security befitting a possible host for the Olympic Games by implementing measures such as the introduction of a hazardous material detection system which utilizes cutting-edge technologies.

5.Create the world's first urban model for a rapidly aging society

Tokyo will be the city with the fastest aging population in the world. Tokyo will create a new vision of active elderly lifestyles and realize a city where anyone can live safely.

- Make Tokyo a place full of life for children and senior citizens

Tokyo will utilize the "Fund to Ensure Health and Welfare," which will be newly established, to promote R&D on prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease―a disease afflicting 50% of all dementia patients. The image of senior citizens will also be changed dramatically to one in which they invigorate society through employment, business start-ups, social contributions, and other active roles in various fields using their experience and expertise.
Capitalizing on the advantage of having a high concentration of diversified companies, Tokyo aims to create 30,000 new jobs for people with disabilities. In addition, to resolve the issue of 5,000 children waiting to enter daycare centers, child care services will be bolstered in ways that respond to the needs of a major city.
Studies will also be promoted on the establishment of a professional postgraduate medical school to foster doctors with excellent clinical competence.

Example of a study on Alzheimer's disease

Source: Compiled by research materials of Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Neuroscience

6.Make Tokyo more prominent in terms of culture, tourism, universal design, and industry

Tokyo's value will be enhanced by introducing its unique culture that mixes tradition and the most modern innovations to the rest of the world, as well as by strategically developing new industries.

- Establish Tokyo as a cultural hub of Asia

Ueno Park has the largest concentration of cultural facilities in Japan. These features will be leveraged to revitalize the park as a "cultural forest" to serve as the face of Tokyo. A cultural program will also be formulated for implementation over the four years prior to the start of the Olympic Games, under which large-scale cultural projects and international exchanges with various cities will be strategically implemented.

- Attract people from around the world

In addition to ongoing efforts for a barrier-free environment, ubiquitous computing technologies and others will be utilized to make Tokyo a city based on universal design where anyone can roam about freely without worrying about language and other inconveniences.
Strategic sites that highlight Tokyo's charms, including the waterfront areas (urban spaces providing entertainment around the clock), Toyosu (where visitors can enjoy the attractions of food), and Akihabara (with its unique culture such as anime) will be created with the aim of doubling the number of foreign visitors to Tokyo to 10 million.

Example of map display and information provision using advanced technologies

- Industrial city leading the world in new technologies and ideas

Tokyo will support "creative urban industries" that include those addressing social needs such as the environment, medical and nursing care, industries that disseminate creative content such as anime and fashion, and the home information appliance industry.
Taking advantage of the completion of the three loop roads, introduction of regular international flights to Haneda Airport, and dual civilian-military use of Yokota Air Base, the Tama area will be built into an industrial center for R&D activities (Tama Silicon Valley) exemplary of not only the Greater Tokyo Area but of Asia as well.

Overview of creative urban industries

7.Create a society where motivated individuals can pursue their ambitions

Children will acquire the necessary skills to support society in the coming era; opportunities will be provided to motivated people to pursue their ambitions in Tokyo; and a system to facilitate NPOs, volunteers, and other organizations/individuals working to support society will be established.

- Make Tokyo a place where individuals can boost their motivation and demonstrate their ability

To support people resuming or starting studies after entering society, the "Continuing Education Scholarship" (provisional name) will be established to assist those re-entering universities or graduate schools such as the Tokyo Metropolitan University.
In order to contribute to human resources development in the rest of Asia, Tokyo will establish the "Asia Human Resources Fund" (provisional name) to provide financial support, and the "Asia Human Resources Bank" (provisional name) to facilitate exchanges with Asian cities and the overseas advancement of Tokyo's small businesses.

Overall image of training and support

8.Promote sport to provide dreams to children

Tokyo will contribute to the healthy development of children around the world and improve athletic competitiveness through the promotion of sport, and will achieve a society where people can lead healthy lives.

- Link Tokyo with Asia through sports

Tokyo will establish the "Fund to Promote Sport and Cultural Exchanges," and implement Tokyo's official development assistance (ODA) in the field of sports, centering on international events and development of the next generation of Asia.
A consecutive six-year secondary school for the training of top-level athletes will be established at the site of the former Akikawa High School. Schoolyards of all public elementary and junior high schools in Tokyo will be grassed to enable children to experience the joy of physical activity.

Children playing on grass schoolyards