Transforming a Central Tokyo Park Into a Cutting‐Edge Commercial Complex
Miyashita Park, Shibuya
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22018052 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Junko Hasegawa (0000-0002-1948-2543, Keio University, corresponding author), Junichi Hasegawa (0000-0001-7876-4017) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Urban Planning (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2183-7635 • E-ISSN: 2183-7635 |
| Publisher | Cogitatio (PUBLISHER • PT) |
| DOI | 10.17645/up.11024 |
| OpenAlex | W4416919160 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 16 |
This study examines a case of urban renewal in Shibuya, one of Tokyo’s most prominent downtown areas, featuring Miyashita Park, a dilapidated 10,000‐square‐meter park that transformed into a modern commercial complex consisting of a multistory commercial building with a roof park and an 18‐story hotel. Shibuya Ward, the park’s administrator, selected private companies—initially Nike Japan and subsequently Mitsui Fudosan—as the redevelopment agency to install and operate park facilities—a public–private partnership that went beyond the conventional park concept by building sophisticated commercial facilities. This redevelopment, which began at the end of the 2000s, was met with fierce opposition. To investigate these dynamics, the article draws on qualitative content analysis of Shibuya Ward Assembly minutes (2008–2020), obtained from the official digital archive, alongside media coverage. By systematically reviewing committee and plenary debates where key policy decisions were made, the study traces how the project was planned, debated, and implemented. The findings show that despite legal ambiguities and strong criticism, the ward advanced the project by framing the park as an unprofitable facility requiring private‐sector expertise, redefining regulatory boundaries, and limiting resident participation to a formal procedure. This process illuminates how public–private‐partnership‐led redevelopment, embedded in Japan’s broader neoliberal urbanism, can proceed through strong political conviction at the local level amid opposition and limited transparency. The study contributes to international debates on urban public space, highlighting how local governments act not only as regulators but also as active promoters of privatization and the erosion of urban commons
Downtown · General partnership · Haven · Politics · Public policy · Redevelopment · Japanese History and Culture · Urban Planning and Governance · Urbanization and City Planning
Controversies surrounding Japan’s ‘flexible’ urban planning
Public Space in Recent Japanese Political Thought and Activism
Urban green commons
Public–Private Partnerships
Changing patterns of urban public space
Cities and the Geographies of “Actually Existing Neoliberalism”
Uneven Processes of Institutional Change
Redeveloping Tokyo's Meiji Jingu Gaien Area
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |