The deputy governor of Tokyo, Manabu Miyasaka , has unveiled an ambitious project of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to build a futuristic city in the middle of Tokyo Bay. The floating city will be located in the Tokyo Waterfront City area.
Why build a city within a city?
The capital of Japan has a metropolitan area where more than 40 million inhabitants live: it is the largest urban agglomeration in the world. Its population density is 14,000 people per square kilometer, almost double that of New York City. So many districts, cities, towns, villages, prefectures… make it necessary to build new areas in which to accommodate this growing and huge amount of population. The city would have work, residential, academic and recreational facilities, and would be equipped with one of the main logistics terminals in Japan.
The purpose is to expand the city over the sea, since it is getting too congested. The city is inspired by the animated film “Akira”, specifically in the post-apocalyptic “Neo-Tokyo” where the city’s bay area is populated. Based on this concept, the deputy governor of Tokyo and his team plan to create a sustainable city that will be prepared to face any kind of future global threat, such as infectious diseases and climate change.
ESG City
Called the Tokyo Bay eSG Project, the goal is to boost international competitiveness by creating a sustainable city and adopting cutting-edge digital technologies. There are plans to extend a parcel of unused land in the middle of the bay. At the moment, about a fifth of the development has been completed. The unpopulated area hosted the canoeing and rowing competitions during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and is now used to store containers and process garbage.
According to the metropolitan government, the Tokyo Bay eSG project is likely to begin testing next year, and there are already 55 companies, universities and organizations committed to the project, including game producer Konami Group Corp. and TV broadcaster Asahi TV.
“The Tokyo Bay eSG Project serves as a model for post-COVID cities that are sustainable and economically viable. We want to overcome the double crisis of COVID-19 and climate change together with the people of Tokyo,” said Yanagisawa Masahiro, Promotion Director of the Tokyo Bay eSG Project.
For the authorities, the goal is to create a zero-emission city through digital technology, based on ecology, economy and technology. Wind, floating and other green energy tools will be installed. In addition to an energy management system, there will be zero-emission vehicles that will help achieve green and sustainable living through digital technology.
While the future depicted in the “Akira” anime film never came to fruition, the question remains whether the Tokyo Bay eSG Project could spawn a dramatically different one. We’ll see.
Referencia: Kyodo News / Tokyo Metropolitan Government
