The Land Readjustment and Urban Development Forum held in Tokyo last October brought together professionals from municipalities, academia and the private sector to examine digital transformation in community development. Themed “Land Readjustment and Digital Transformation --- From Disaster Prevention and Consensus Building to Urban Management,” the event featured speeches and discussion on data-driven approaches to town planning involving multiple land parcels.
Unlike previous gatherings, the forum’s panel discussion included experts from external organizations such as NTT, reflecting the industry’s growing awareness.
Embracing new perspectives
Moderated by Takayuki Kishii of the Institute of Behavioral Sciences, the panel featured professor Hideo Nakamura of Nihon University, Masanao Oue of the city of Osaka’s Urban Development Bureau and Wakana Matsumura of NTT’s Research and Development Market Strategy Division.
Nakamura envisioned digital transformation as making “inconvenient things convenient” and creating new value. He identified three categories where it can enhance land readjustment: community-building, construction and administration. While integration across these categories is not essential, optimization within each one is critical.
He emphasized the importance of developing standard digital tool kits, improving literacy and cultivating personnel capable of connecting land readjustment professionals with local communities.
Oue outlined Osaka’s practical approach, highlighting small-scale, flexible projects with high digital compatibility. These projects involve fewer stakeholders, making it easier to reach consensus and implement cutting-edge technologies. Crucially, Oue emphasized the importance of regional well-being, a point often overlooked in traditional approaches. He stressed that relocating buildings is “not about moving objects, but about moving people,” so it requires human-centered implementation that considers each individual’s happiness and life plans.
NTT’s community initiative
Matsumura shared NTT’s comprehensive approach to community development through digital technology. In 2020, NTT launched the Sustainable Smart City Partner Program (SSPP), aimed at maximizing residents’ well-being. As a telecommunications infrastructure company with facilities nationwide, NTT views local vitality as a strategic priority and is integrating its technological capabilities to promote sustainable community growth.
The cornerstone of SSPP is Sugatami, a visualization tool that evaluates 18 aspects of urban life, including health, education, the environment and governance. Unlike traditional economic indicators, Sugatami incorporates well-being and sustainability metrics, offering municipalities data-driven insights into their strengths and challenges. Sugatami is used in citizen dialogue sessions, informs long-term planning and serves as a framework of key performance indicators for monitoring progress.
Insights on implementation
The panelists emphasized that digital tools work best when used with trust-based communication and measurable indicators, including metrics on well-being. They highlighted improved stakeholder responsiveness and the need for professionals who can bridge technology, policy and community contexts.
The forum underscored the ongoing shift from infrastructure-centered to people-centered planning, in which digital transformation is not simply an overlay of technology but a framework for harmonizing urban functions with residents’ quality of life. NTT’s model, combining data visualization, structured dialogue and training programs, was presented as an example of how corporate expertise can support municipal goals.
Future directions
The forum identified emerging possibilities for integrating information technology into land readjustment practices. While acknowledging that clear implementation frameworks are still under development, the panelists highlighted potential pathways for combining technical innovation with community-centered urban development approaches. These discussions revealed that Japan’s urban planning sector is ready to embrace digital transformation while prioritizing human well-being. This alignment with University of Tokyo Executive Director and Vice President Atsushi Deguchi’s vision shared in the forum — in which well-being itself serves as a smart-city monitoring tool through quicker verification and enhanced citizen participation — suggests a fundamental shift in planning philosophy. As efforts to build sustainable communities oriented toward well-being continue to advance, collaboration between traditional planning expertise and innovative technological solutions points toward a more responsive and inclusive future for urban development.
The SSPP Forum, organized by NTT, which also participated in the current forum, is scheduled to take place on Oct. 14. Like this forum, it will focus on themes such as community development and well-being, offering further insights into the practical intersection of urban management and digital transformation.
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