Tokyo's Public Land Utilized As Green Housing Exhibition Site

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) began renting public land reserved for urban development in April 2009 to private housing developers to hold a housing exhibition, as a means of effectively utilizing the public land. The exhibition, which is being held on a 6,080 square-meter site from September 2009 through August 2014, promotes TMG's housing and environment policies.

The rental agreement is based on the TMG's "Housing Master Plan" and "10-Year Project for Green Tokyo," which were formulated to secure desirable housing and living environments such as safe/disaster-proof houses, durable/high-quality houses, environment/landscape-conscious houses and greenery in all urban spaces.

In addition to covering not less than 30 percent of the parking area with trees and shrubs, the agreement requires each of the 12 exhibiting home developers to meet TGM's standards for energy conservation and exhibit at least one earthquake/deterioration resistant house, one barrier-free home, and at least one house equipped with a solar power generation system.

Equipment using solar heat is on display at the site, allowing visitors to feel the warmth of water heated by heat from the sun. The site also provides useful information regarding the national government and TMG's programs for subsidizing residential solar energy use and other programs.

Posted: 2009/12/10 06:00:15 AM