Q: What are the incentives that can be a spur for the redevelopment?
A: Sufficient incentives such as relaxation of height and floor-area ratio restriction for the high-valued areas.
Fukuoka City government introduced the Tenjin Big Bang project to accelerate the redevelopment of the city center to be suitable as an Asian gateway. Under this project, incentives are given to the landowners to construct the high value-added buildings that meet the requirements in the area 500-meter radius of the city center.
Urban Center Redevelopment: Tenjin Big Bang
In the center of Fukuoka City, Tenjin, the skyline had not changed much since the 1970s until recently. Most landowners were reluctant to reconstruct their buildings because the rent does not drop in the city center, and their investments were already redeemed. However, the update and enhancement of city center function was an urgent priority for the city’s further development to be the gateway to Asia and also to be a leading city in Asia.
The city government launched the Tenjin Big Bang project in 2015 after the relaxation of height restriction in the aviation law was coordinated with the central government. Under this project, incentives are given to the landowners to construct the high value-added buildings which meet the requirements in the area 500-meter radius of the Tenjin intersection, where two main roads of the city, Meiji Dori Avenue and Watanabe Dori Avenue, cross.
In this area, the city government gives the incentives such as relaxation of floor-area ratio, including height, in construction of the certified buildings to be completed by the end of 2026. In order to be certified to receive the incentives, the buildings are required to meet the following requirements: The design of the buildings should be attractively designed, including low-rise parts and open spaces under the universal design concept, in harmony with surrounding buildings, and it should contribute to the greening of the area with flowers and trees. Amid the COVID-19 crisis in 2021, the requirement for countermeasures against infectious diseases were also added.
"Tenjin Business Center" Building is the first one completed in September 2021. Until this 19-floor building with the height of 89 meters was built, the highest building in Tenjin Area had been the Nishi-nippon Watanabe Building, accommodating the Hakata Daimaru Department Store of 65-meters high since 1975.
The next big building to be completed at the end of the fiscal year of 2022 will be the 111-meter-high building on the former site of Daimyo Elementary School, which would house retails, offices and the future Ritz-Carlton hotel. This facelift of the Tenjin Area is expected to create economic ripple effects of 860 billion Japanese yen. It can accommodate nearly 100 thousand people, i.e., 2.4 times more of the current workforce in the area, helping the step closer to Fukuoka City’s ambition to be an Asian Business hub, attracting major corporations, as well as visitors.
[Case ID: Urban Renewal UR-03]
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