Source: Peatix

Why does the city need strategic design now?
In today's era of declining populations and shrinking cities, there are limits to leaving urban development solely to local governments and a few experts. We need a system in which the management of various people works well together and the value created in the city accumulates and becomes culture and industry. To achieve this, it is important to strategically design cities that utilize human, financial, and spatial resources and are the soil in which continuous activity can grow. Rather than building cities for the sake of the economy, it is "livable cities" that nurture diverse values such as culture, nature, and community that will ultimately create a prosperous economy - this change in thinking is what is needed now more than ever.

In this session, we will focus on the theme of "Strategically Designing Cities," reconsidering cities as "management entities" and exploring how vision, strategy, organization, and business can be woven together to create a virtuous cycle of "sustainable cities."

The speakers will be Taichi Goto, who studied and worked in the United States before promoting area management in various parts of Japan, including Fukuoka, Kamiyama, and Shibuya, and Mitsuhiro Yamazaki, who uses the regional economic development know-how he cultivated on the US West Coast, including in Portland, to support the creation of urban and economic development strategies across Japan. Together, these two men have honed the idea of "strategically designing" the future of cities at the forefront of their work in Portland, USA, and have implemented it in the field across Japan, and will explore the form of "strategic urban design" that will be required in the coming era.

◆ Event Outline
Date and time Tuesday, February 24, 2026 18:30-20:00 (doors open at 18:00)
Venue: TCU Shibuya PXU (Tokyo City University Shibuya PXU) (5 minutes walk from Shibuya Station)
https://shibuya-pxu.tcu.ac.jp/
Capacity: 60 people
Participation fee: Free
Organized by Tokyo City University
Cooperation: SDSN JAPAN, Sendenkaigi Co., Ltd., Environmental Business, ESD Activity Support Center,
Global Environment Partnership Plaza (GEOC), Green Cities Co., Ltd., Region Works LLC

◆Speakers (planned)

Taichi Goto, Representative Partner of Region Works LLC
Born in Tokyo. After graduating from the Department of Urban Engineering at the University of Tokyo in 1992, he worked for Kajima Corporation. In 1997, he completed a Master's degree in City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, and worked for the Portland Metropolitan Government's Metro Growth Management Agency. In 2003, he moved to Fukuoka, where he established and successfully promoted area management, urban revitalization, and regional economic development. He has since been involved in the creation and promotion of area management in various locations, including regional revitalization in Kamiyama Town (Tokushima Prefecture), social innovation in Shibuya, and urban revitalization in Fukui. He is Vice Chairman of the National Area Management Network, a director of the International Downtown Association, a first-class architect, and an American Certified Urban Planner (AICP). His book, "Urban Regeneration as a Business Strategy: Team-Based Area Management Practices and Methods," was published in September 2025.

Mitsuhiro Yamazaki, CEO of Green Cities Inc.
He spent a total of 24 years in the United States from 1995. He majored in international relations and regional economic development and earned a Master's degree in Regional Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi. As an urban planner and regional economic development producer, he analyzes urban environments, lifestyles, industrial structures, and other factors from a new perspective to develop goals and strategies for building environmentally sustainable urban economies on the West Coast of the United States and throughout Japan. In the United States, he worked for major electric power companies, construction companies, and economic development organizations, developing regional economic development strategies, site selection, and strategic management plans. He also served as Business and Industry Manager and International Business Development Officer at the Portland Development Agency, which is responsible for the economic and urban revitalization efforts of Portland, long known as the most desirable city in the United States. He is a pioneer in introducing Portland's urban development methods to Japan. He became independent in 2017. After returning to Japan in 2019, he concurrently served as an urban development advisor for Tsukuba City, an advisor for the Kobe City Port Authority, a visiting professor at Yokohama National University, and a senior urban consultant at the World Bank. Since moving to Tokyo, he has been working across the country on developing urban and economic development strategies that take into consideration the quality of life of residents and the environment, assisting in the formulation of local visions, supporting the launch of local organizations, and creating systems that attract creative talent.

Masahisa Sato, Tokyo City University (Assistant to the President)
He graduated from the University of Tsukuba and completed his Master's in Environmental Studies at the same university. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Salford in the UK in 2002. He previously served as a Strategic Research Project Researcher at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and a Senior Program Specialist in International Educational Cooperation at the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) before assuming his current position. He currently serves as a focal point for UNESCO ESD-Net 2030, a member of the International Council for the UNESCO Chair (Responsible Living and Lifestyles), a lecturer on sustainability for the National Personnel Authority's civil servant training program, a member of the SDSN-JAPAN committee, and chair of the Ministry of the Environment's Regional Transition Study Group for Regional Circulatory Symbiosis Zones. He also served as a founding director of the certified NPO ETIC. (Social Entrepreneur Incubation Platform). His research and practice focuses on the connections between regional management, organizational theory, and learning and education theory, including collaborative governance, social learning, and intermediary support functions.

◆ Program (planned)
18:00 Doors open and reception begins
18:30 Opening/introductory presentation (Masahisa Sato)
18:40 Session 1 (Mitsuhiro Yamazaki)
19:00 Session 2 (Taichi Goto)
19:20 Crosstalk + Q&A (all speakers included)
19:50 Closing (Masa Sato)
20:00 End of the event - Networking for those interested

◆ Features of this event
・To serve as a starting point for networking, as a forum for dialogue between local governments, private companies, citizens, university officials, and students
・Not just a lecture, but an interactive format that emphasizes dialogue with participants

Regarding the SX Track
Tokyo City University will open a new base, "TCU Shibuya PXU," in Shibuya, Tokyo in April 2025. Under the slogan "together," the new base, PXU, is positioned in Shibuya as a hub for bringing together the knowledge of industry, government, academia, and local residents to create new products and services. Here at PXU, a base for promoting knowledge exchange, we have decided to launch a series of sessions (SX track) on sustainability (SX).

In this series of sessions, we will work with diverse stakeholders to build a sustainable society by looking at issues from multiple perspectives, including people, society, the economy, and the environment, such as "human survival," "human growth," "social growth," and "social continuity," and deepen discussions linked to specific measures such as policy (UN, government, local governments, etc.), management (companies, organizations, NPOs, etc.), and lifestyle/community development (civic activities, participation and collaboration). Furthermore, in collaboration with Tokyo City University's research field that contributes to sustainability, we will deepen discussions on "design x innovation," which does not rely solely on solving individual problems but rather envisions a desirable society toward sustainability and promotes change.

Although the deadline for achieving the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) is 2030, environmental, social, and economic risks are becoming more serious today. Furthermore, geopolitical and technological risks have also emerged, forming a global risk landscape. This series of sessions will foster exchanges and discussions with a diverse range of people, including those from industry, government, and academia, with the aim of building a sustainable society in a risk-ridden world. We look forward to your active participation.

Venue