New Urban Landscapes

Japan is blessed with stunning landscapes and four distinctive and beautiful seasons. Japanese traditional gardens bring natural landscapes into the hearts of cities. This is the cultural environment that Nikken Sekkei as a design firm has evolved within, giving us a unique approach to landscape design for urban areas. Quality open spaces are meant to reconnect citizens with their contextual natural environment and fellow man. This is discussed in the chapter “New Urban Landscapes” of the book “Nikken Sekkei Urbanism.”

Building cities requires natural environments to make space for urban developments; the perception of topography, wind, water, flora and fauna become less visible in highly-urbanized areas. Nikken Sekkei strongly believes that through the re-introduction of contextual natural environments they can enrich and vitalize living environments for people. Considering environmental contexts beyond the actual project site, integrating green corridors and natural wind or water paths into the design concept leads to a better micro-climate and promotes sustainability.

Urban redevelopment profits most from re-introducing open spaces such as squares or parks. The Green Development Initiative promotes the development of public spaces which attract people, increase surrounding land values and alleviate the environmental impact of the city. Nikken Sekkei’s designs pay tribute to the environmental context of a site with Japanese sensitivity and propose sustainable, context relevant, urban designs that add value and attraction.

 Materials provided by NIKKEN SEKKEI

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