Reflection on planning in Fukuoka
“Comfort” a state of physical ease and freedom, which was felt in Fukuoka during my 8 years in Japan. It is a benchmark city I continuously compare many cities with and it succeeds to remind me of its countless unique services and spaces I lived around. The post will be highlighting a few principles of planning in which the city has successfully embraced to form a functional city I still call home.
Fukuoka is located in the south of Japan holding a population of 1.5 million people. Fukuoka is one of Japan’s ten most populated cities, because of its closeness to the Asian mainland (closer to Seoul than Tokyo)
Walkability was mostly enjoyed over my years in Japan. I was able to walk from home to my friend’s house, school, supermarket, hospital, dental clinic, nursery and community center. The roads were not dominating the pedestrian pathways. The walkability area was wide enough (4m) to allow for cycling track and walking corridor with big trees on both sides shading the pathways. The secondary pedestrian (1.5m) connected every point to everywhere. I recall the good times, where I would walk to school every day or go to the supermarket to get a few snacks. This has been very convenient and healthy on a daily basis.
In addition to great walkability, there was also a well-established mobility network of great transportation services, including public buses, metros, and subways. I have never witnessed road traffic in my life in Japan. I strongly believe there was a balance in the types of transportations (cars and public transportations) Hence why there was less possibility of traffic to happen.
The neighborhood or the community I lived in had access to a range of services providing a variety of opportunities for enhanced employment, economic engagement, education, and recreation. Any necessity was a few minutes away with easy accessibility. As a Muslim family living in Japan, the number of the Muslim community was very low. However, every Friday the community center nearby would host a gathering for the Muslims/Arabs to create religious, educational, and social needs for them. This generated a sense of home and place for the Muslims, who lived in a foreign country.
A visit to the park was a daily ritual back in the day. My city had a good variety of different kinds of open spaces, which encouraged engagements among communities. In the neighborhood, there was a small open space for kid’s to play and just 10 minutes away from a huge park including fitness track, kid’s sandy park and interesting landscape of mounds for different age groups to hang out around. It was very open, which was safe and kids friendly.
In my city, there was a sense of balance in tradition. In the residential area, the building plans and styles had an architectural style to communicate cultural values. In the city center, they’ve introduced modern styles to suit the dynamic vibe of the area.
Last but not least, as many say, the people make the city and Fukuoka certainly managed to stay the way it is due to the people living and taking care of the city. Every three months or so, the community will gather to go round the neighborhoods and pick up any trash or get involved in planting new plants in the park. I believe these small tasks, help the people to connect and value their own city. The city has been giving great services to its people, now it’s time for the people to give back.
In conclusion, for a city to be livable, the city must allow you to feel comfortable with how you live. It must give you a sense of freedom of being able to access any place with easy transportation systems. Also, having public services around to invite you at all times. A city will help you to grow with no complains. Thank you, Fukuoka for the good times!
