Abstract
1. Background of starting the Eco-town project
The City of Kitakyushu became one of Japan's major industrial centers with the 1901 establishment of the Yahata Steel Works. In subsequent decades, the chemical laden smoke filling Kitakyushu skies was taken as a sign of prosperity for the Kitakyushu region and Japan as a whole. Yet economic development came at the price of clean water and air; by the 1960s severe pollution had dramatically diminished the quality of life for Kitakyushu's citizens and water pollution became so bad that residents called Kitakyushu's toxic Dokai Bay the "Sea of Death." Change came when a small group of concerned women initiated a dramatic turn-around for Kitakyushu by building coalitions that combined city residents, businesses, universities, and the local government to affect a substantial recovery of environmental quality that is most evident in Kitakyushu's skies and rivers today. Kitakyushu actively works to share their experiences such as pollution control, environmental education and environmental oriented industries with other cities that now struggle with the effects of industrialization and conducting extensive international environmental cooperation projects in an effort to build the foundations of a resource-sustainable society.
2. Outline of the Kitakyushu Eco-town project
Kitakyushu is using its experiences from overcoming pollution not only in international environmental cooperation but also in urban planning. Kitakyushu is committed to fostering environmental industries and the creation of a recycling and economic society by promoting "the Kitakyushu Eco-town Project."
Advanced technology of recycling and emission control of the waste is accomplished by the promotion of environmental industry provided by the industrial accumulation in this area. The Eco-town project means the measure which aims at the realization of industry-university cooperation and the production of advanced environment-friendly town.
We take advantage of the technical capabilities accumulated as "the Town of the Production" over 100 years to tackle "The Kitakyushu Eco-town project". In process of pollution conquest, many specialists in industry, academia and government fields have cultivated an original municipal policy including both "industrial promotion measures" and "environmental preservation measures", simultaneously.
3. The 1st stage of the project
During these 10 years, based on "a zero emission design ", accumulation of recycling industries (20 companies are operated) has been promoted in Comprehensive Environmental Industrial Complex (about 25ha), Hibikinada area, Wakamatsu-ward. And collaboration between companies will have been promoted to execute the zero emission in this area. Moreover, Practical Research Area (about 6.5 ha) has made a large contribution to a new technical development in environmental and recycling fields.
4. The 2nd stage of the project
Aiming at "the resources recycling" and the "environmental industrial base" city in Asia, the Eco-town area is expanded to the whole city. Moreover, the new industrial creation called a "biomass utilizing project", and "Eco-complex Plan" which utilizes an existing industrial infrastructure and attains energy saving and saving-resources in this area throughout in the city are promoted. Furthermore, the eco-friendly product, equipment, etc. by the medium and small companies in the city are advertised.
In Practical Research area, if the human resource development in the fields of waste and recycling is strengthened, it is supposed that the creation of next-generation environmental industry which utilized alternative energy, micro nano-sized technology, etc. is also addressed by means of the collaboration with the Scientific Research Park.
