Host: The City Planning Institute of Japan
Gyoji Banshoya is a Japanese planner who worked for the urban planning in the Middle East and the North Africa as lifework. After graduation from the seminar of Kiyoshi Seike, he studied under the supervision of G.Hanning and G.Candillis in ATBAT. Then he worked in Alger for the housing that permits Muslims and Christians coexist. As an expert of UNDP, he started in1962 to work in Beirut, Damascus and Aleppo with M.Ecochard. Refering to the CIAM policies, they tried to preserve the old cities by way of activation with introducing modern roads. In fact they made the masterplans of these three cities. Unfortunately, some movements against their modernist policies happened, and Banshoya retired in adversity. However, his works are still great and should be considered with detailed examination of his planning policies. This might be an introduction to the story of the Middle Eastern urban planning.
