Comprehensive Research OrganizationWaseda University

For the past 20 years, our institute has been conducting research and putting into practice the main theme of “developing technology and methods for user-participation in public design and building autonomous communities.” Specifically, we have received commissioned research from many local governments on citizen participation and the planning and management of workshops, and while achieving results in the field, we have contributed to the creation of what is known as a “participatory society, a civi society.”

However, the issues facing local communities are constantly becoming more diverse and complex, making it difficult to solve them using only existing knowledge. Therefore, in order to solve new issues, we would like to broaden our scope to include interdisciplinary fields related to citizen participation (welfare and education) and expand the scope of our citizen participation research and practical activities.

Specifically, the following four themes are envisaged:
1. Technical Support for Citizen Participation Processes in Public Facilities
– In the future, as plans for the renovation of buildings, parks, and roads increase rather than the construction of new public facilities, citizen participation by users will become even more important.
2. Support for Promoting Children’s and Young People’s Independent Urban Development Activities
– With the enactment of the Basic Act on Children, it has become extremely important for local governments to concretize and expand their child and youth plans and policies.
3. Area Management Research, Studies, and On-site Support
– As urban redevelopment projects rapidly increase, the way cities are managed after construction has become a major issue.
4. Research on co-decision-making between governments and citizens in urban planning overseas
– Up until now, I have focused on Germany, but I would like to conduct case studies in Italy and the EU as a whole.