MEANINGS AND THOUGHTS OF URBAN EXPERIENCES OF TOWNSCAPE IN THE SHIMOKITAZAWA DISTRICT —FOCUSING ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACTORS—

Abstract

 Landscape formation plans have been a common government-led practice in various municipalities that apply theories of urban planning and design to the regulations and recommendations of the physical environment. On top of that a mindset and proactive engagement is required of the landscape-related actors towards an urbanism or machizukuri that sustains the landscape. As such, it is imperative to have a deeper understanding of the urban experiences as well as the self-conscious and personal meanings attached to the landscape, and incorporate the understanding a difference and a common perception and finding the point of contact that they can share each other. Walking around and workshops were conducted with participants of different sociodemographic characteristics in the study in the Shimokitazawa district, and the focus was on the meanings and thoughts of urban experiences of townscape. Further discussions and analyses led to the identification of a typology of 17 kinds of meanings, which fall under 2 categories: i) meanings whose presence depends on the manner of spatial interaction, ii) any actor have the viewpoints to seek a sense of freedom and membership in common in participating in the society.