Rural landscape valorization at Nishitōkyō : Yashikimori conservation methodology

Abstract

Starting with the workshop Planning for the Global Urban Agenda Shaping Ecodistricts in Tokyo suburbs from the program IMPLEMENTING THE UNITED NATIONS' NEW URBAN AGENDA. UNIVERSITIES IN ACTION (UNI-NUA), was the first approach to the case study, the city of Nishitōkyō, which make part of the metropolitan area of Tokyo. Nevertheless, Nishitōkyō city has a completely different character than Tokyo, being a city with a significant number of green open spaces like parks, tree nurseries, but outstanding the farmlands plots which make clear his rural original character. Some of these farmlands have been there from more than 250 years, reason why it is possible to consider them as part of their heritage. During the workshop the principal aim was to conserve the farmlands facing the threatens of some of the new planning policies that includes the realization of several roads that will cut or erase some of these plots, however, the current approach proposes to see the farmlands as part of the cultural rural heritage of Japan that must be conserved and enhanced. This way of seeing the farmlands as part of the cultural rural heritage is reinforced through the existence of the Yashikimori a residential plot traditional of the rural areas with agriculture fields, which is also in risk due the inheritance taxes are so high that when an area is not designated as a productive green zones (PGZ) or a green open space, have to pay all the normal taxes as if it would be a residence plot, what means that some of the owners prefer to sell the land (with the Yashikimori inside) than pay the taxes. Therefore, recognizing the different elements of rurality present in Nishitōkyō in order to search a way to preserve and enhance them, the creation of a model is proposed, where first it identifies the different cultural rural landscape present in the territory as the farmlands, parks, tree nurseries and also the Yashikimori. Then, involving the different users, local entities and stake holders for construct a network that allows not to see the landscape elements as individuals but a complex, appreciating their value in the quality of life of the people, their identity and also trying to communicate the importance of the cultural rural landscape.