This study examines the decision-making process undertaken to advance the development while preserving environmental and historical assets at the &ldquoDaikin Amica Karuizawa,” a retreat built on a culturally significant site in Karuizawa. In this project, functional requirements such as circulation and parking often conflicted with environmental conservation. To address these challenges, designers, contractors, and the client worked collaboratively through investigations, workshops, and technical verifications to visualize environmental impacts and share the trade-offs associated with prioritizing functionality. Early discussions compared multiple alternatives, leading to a consensus that environmental conservation should take precedence in cases of unavoidable conflict. In the design phase, decisions were made to minimize environmental impact, such as adjusting road alignments to preserve key existing trees. During the construction phase, on-site measurements were utilized to inform strategies for protecting root systems and restoring the terrain, ensuring the realization of the design intent. Furthermore, early contractor involvement accelerated technical validation and fostered a shared value system among stakeholders. This study demonstrates that integrating physical and operational measures, adopting dynamic decision-making, visualizing unfavorable options, and early involvement of contractors are effective for resolving conflicts between environmental conservation and functional requirements.

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The purpose of this study is to investigate coffee farms in Amami Oshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, among the coffee farms in Japan, and to show the farm type and coffee cultivation environment.We conducted interviews with the farm owners and surveys throughout the four seasons using precision equipment at two coffee farms on Amami Oshima.The farms had the following characteristics: Coffee was grown on improved land in mountainous areas, which had previously been used for growing other agricultural products, and forests, windbreaks, and windbreak fences were used to protect against the wind.In addition, coffee and bananas were planted in alternating rows to suppress wind and reduce solar radiation, and fallen tree branches and leaves contributed to the development of good soil.The coffee growing environment with good tree vigor and fruit set had the following characteristics: Wind was controlled by windbreaks and fences, and temperatures were high in summer and low in winter.In addition, compared to previous studies, coffee was grown under high humidity and low light intensity, and the soil environment had a slightly low pH and EC value.

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As Japanese urban park management shifts from quantitative expansion to qualitative improvement, establishing practical indicators to objectively evaluate multifaceted social values has become an urgent task. Based on insights from previous user behavior surveys, this report develops the "Management and Operational Indicators for Enhancing the Social Value of Parks," a framework comprising "Location Indicators" to measure park potential and "Action Indicators" to assess management efforts. Trial evaluations at 14 parks confirmed the framework's effectiveness in quantitatively visualizing management creativity, irrespective of management type or park size. Crucially, the visualized data functions as an evidence-based communication tool that facilitates consensus-building among government agencies, park managers, and citizens. However, challenges regarding data collection costs and performance tracking in small, unstaffed parks were identified. Future developments must focus on integrating these indicators into routine operations, creating a "simplified version" to alleviate practical burdens, and advancing toward datadriven park management through the utilization of ICT.

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Recent research on urban well-being has underscored the importance of everyday nature, emphasizing routine exposure to greenery through daily activities rather than occasional visits to major parks. However, robust methods for quantifying timebased green exposure in diverse urban environments remain underdeveloped. This technical report advances the Cumulative Green Spaces Exposure Time (CGSET) framework by integrating human mobility data with NDVI-derived vegetation metrics. Building on previous approaches that relied on Google Street View imagery to assess street- and park-level greenery, the incorporation of NDVI enabled the evaluation of intra-block vegetation not visible from the street level. The enhanced CGSET framework was applied to three central wards of Osaka City, utilizing 10-meter resolution NDVI data and approximately 1.5 million mobility points. CGSET is calculated using a provisional NDVI threshold of ≥ 0.3 and is analyzed across spatial categories including streets, parks, and non-park intra-block areas. The results reveal clear differences between the sections and demonstrate that intra-block greenery also contributes. Furthermore, areas with moderate vegetation (0.2 < NDVI < 0.3) were identified as priority targets for effective urban green planning and management.

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The Keio Inokashira Line Hydrangeas bloom from May to late June and are widely appreciated by railway users and local residents. In 2010, they received the Suginami Machi Design Award and have been maintained as part of Keio Corporation’s environmental initiatives.The authors maintain these hydrangeas during the daytime within railway track areas where trains are in operation. The work is managed from the perspectives of safety, schedule, quality, and cost. Safety is particularly important because the work is carried out close to operating trains. To prevent disruption to train operations, train-contact accidents, and heat-related occupational accidents, careful coordination, worker training, and thorough planning are essential.All work is performed manually in accordance with the hydrangeas’ annual growth cycle. In recent years, maintenance has become more difficult due to climate change, labor shortages, and rising costs. Going forward, it will be necessary to review maintenance methods, pass on technical knowledge, and train future personnel.

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Ota Kanayama Scenic District is cherished by residents as a place of relaxation and for hiking and mountain climbing. Recent years, damage caused primarily by pine wilt disease, both triggered by pests and diseases, has been confirmed at Kanayama. Furthermore, Administration promotes community development in collaboration with its citizens under the banner of Citizen Participation Community.” Consequently, Tree planting plan is being advanced in cooperation with the local community around the mountain to address the landscape changes caused by pine and oak wilt. This study focuses on the effectiveness of regional collaborative activities aimed at formulating the “Kaneyama Regeneration Plan. This study aims to evaluate community collaboration activities conducted after implementing field surveys and workshop-based planning activities involving local businesses, Administration Staff, College students, and Residents where pine wilt disease and oak wilt disease have been confirmed. The research resulted in the formulation of a draft Kanayama Regeneration Plan consisting of a photo montage showing the envisioned improvements and a tree planting plan.

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Purpose of this study was to conduct a questionnaire survey to clarify the evaluation of rain gardens from the perspective of urban landscape, urban flooding and flood control, and the perception of rain gardens from the perspective of local residents.

The rain gardens selected for the survey were those that met the following two conditions: “managed and open to the public by Kyoto City” and “facing an intersection,” as well as the following three conditions: “size of area,” “age of construction,” and “area of establishment. The questionnaire results suggest that rain gardens are valued not only for their function in terms of urban landscape, but also as a landscape element that can be seen and enjoyed. It was also considered necessary for rain gardens to be well cared for and maintained in a beautiful manner. With regard to the evaluation of rain gardens in terms of urban flooding and flood control, residents were found to expect rain gardens to provide good drainage during wet weather, but the results of the cross tabulation and χ² test showed no relationship between the experience of flooding and the need for rain gardens. Results also suggested that residents expect rain gardens to include urban flooding and flood control roles.

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