In recent years, from the viewpoint of integrated landscape formation and regional development, there has been a demand to improve the function of roads as public spaces in cooperation with roadside facilities and public transportation. Under these circumstances, road redevelopment involving space redistribution and roadside landscaping has been promoted, and various services and regional activities using road space have been developed in various parts of Japan.

　We are therefore collecting examples of road space restructuring and utilization in Japan and overseas, clarifying the organizational structure of projects, the use of subsidies and systems, design innovations, and maintenance and operation measures after maintenance, and examining the planning methods and effects of each project. We are working on proposals for road space restructuring and utilization methods that can enhance regional development and landscape formation through the integrated improvement of roads and other facilities, coordination of multiple projects, and effective utilization of regional activities.

　In order to provide this information not only to those involved in certified cities, but also to government and private city planning officials nationwide, as well as to the general public interested in city planning, we have established the “Reki-Machi Information Site” with an information search function, which is open to the public.

　The normative case studies are a collection of normative examples of landscape design in public projects, and were created to provide reference ideas and technical information for landscape design in public spaces. In total, 94 case studies (including columns) are featured in this 550+ page document. This case study collection is published as a National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management (NILIM) document, which can be viewed as a pdf file from the link below.

　Toward the “establishment of a landscape assessment system for public works projects,” as stated in the National Policy for the Creation of a Beautiful Nation (2003), we have been conducting research to support system design and monitoring since the preparatory and trial phases. As a result, the “Basic Policy for Landscape Assessment of Public Works under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Draft)” has been revised and published, and is now in full-scale operation for all public works projects under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.