Welcome to the website of Multicultal Urban-Design Center!

The coexistence of many ethnic groups in society is one of the most difficult problems to tackle in this complicated world. “Multicultural Urban-Design Center Incorporated Association” has been established in order to consider and realize the goals of true multicultural societies from the viewpoints of urban planning and community development. We believe that we can contribute to the promotion of multiculturalism through the continuous efforts of urban design with the participation of local citizens.

 

Executives

役職	名前
Chiarperson	Iwai Ichiro
Board member	Hisamoto Yoshisada

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Multicultural Urban-Design Center Incorporated Association

Through the act of urban design, we can select integration or division in urban areas. We can sometimes build walls to separate people, but on the other hand it is possible to remove the walls and make the spaces freely open to the public. Through the process of urban design, we can promote the exchange and communication among people and help them integrate.

When we observe historical urban places, we can easily find many of our predecessors’ methods and wisdom for coexistence of many ethnic groups. Places to promote coexistence include many kinds of places to communicate with other people such as plazas, networks of small lanes, markets, street cafes, street stalls, and open-air restaurants.

Now, we have to learn from the above-mentioned methods and wisdom in urban fabrics and carry them over to the next generation. We also have to make good use of them in the planning of future cities. In that way, we can contribute to the practice of multiculturalism for many ethnic groups in order to live together with mutual respect for other cultures.

This association was created just after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Of course, there is a limit to what extent the act of urban design can achieve in order to solve the problems on this planet, where many ethnic conflicts and wars have broken out. However, the act of urban design can be a deciding factor in many cases when it comes to the promotion of coexistence or to the growth of division. We believe that the way urban spaces are designed can greatly influence people’s behaviors and mentalities. It is time to take action to make urban spaces more accessible to the public, and not closed off to them.

We will conduct surveys to determine what kinds of urban spaces can promote multicultural human activities. And we will also carry out urban conservation projects and community development projects for the above purposes. I hope that we can work together with all of you for those purposes. It is our goal to expand the network of mutual understanding and tolerance throughout Asia and then, to the rest of the world.