DESIGN PROJECTS

To facilitate cross-cultural learning, the studios will work collaboratively on one project in Japan and one project in the U.S.

Kogane, Matsudo-City

The project in Japan will be the revitalization of a historic street in Kogane, Matsudo City. The Kogane District was formerly a town on the road from Edo to Mito (East of Tokyo) in the Samurai Age (about 120 years ago). The district is now faced with the crisis of declining retail shops, aging population, landscape degradation from uncontrolled development, and communication gap among the different generations of residents in the community. A revitalization project would provide an opportunity to address these problems. Professor Isami Kinoshita has been working for four years in involving the community for neighborhood improvement. Although no physical project has yet been implemented, there have been successful programs in community involvement. Many residents have been encouraged by the process and feel that there is now a chance to create a vision for revitalizing the neighborhood though community involvement.

Chinatown-International District, Seattle

Gretchen Stromberg, 2002

The project in the U.S. will be the redesign and revitalization of a neighborhood space in Seattle's Chinatown-International District. From the early Chinese settlement in the 1800's to its emergence as a uniquely multi-ethnic community, the District has undergone successive stages of major spatial and social transformation. Similar to the Kogane District, the Chinatown-International District in Seattle is confronted with a continued challenge of redefining itself in the face of new demographics, needs for economic and housing development, impacts from nearby major developments, and struggle for spatial and cultural identities. Currently, a project is underway to develop an Urban Design Master Plan for the District. Assistant Professor Jeff Hou has been involved in this project, working with various neighborhood organizations in the District. His graduate-level Community Design Studio recently developed a series of design concepts and strategies to support the Master Plan.