METI will Establish a Committee under the Industrial Structure Council for the Improvement and Vitalization of City Centers

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will establish a Committee under the Industrial Structure Council for the Improvement and Vitalization of City Centers for the purpose of reviewing the overall policy on improvement and vitalization in city centers and preparing a prescription for achieving goals set. The committee will be made up of people who lead such improvement and vitalization, as well as academic experts, small and medium retailers, large distributors, local governments, regional financial institutions, and developers.

1. Objectives

Achieving a revival of the Japanese economy requires the improvement and vitalization of city centers, in which a variety of city functions are built up, as well as the regaining of the vitality of local communities.

However, such city centers are still severely exhausted. To overcome this situation, METI has decided to once more review its overall policy regarding the improvement and revitalization of city centers and prepare a prescription for achieving the goal of creating livable communities for people in aging areas, while maintaining the economic vitality of such areas which also face depopulation.

For improving and vitalizing city centers, it is important to talk about city development, as well as retail business, distribution, and community improvement from a set of wider perspectives. METI will establish the committee under the Industrial Structure Council to discuss these challenges comprehensively.

2. Challenges to be discussed

Setting the scope of city centers subject to improvement and vitalization
Intensifying and positioning city functions from a broader regional viewpoint
Promoting activities which may develop the respective character of different communities
Enhancing functions of entities which will lead to city development and fostering human resources which encourage such development
Promoting the utilization of vacant shops and land
Establishing and improving the relationship of coexistence between large retailers and community businesses
Creating new industries taking advantage of the character of city centers

3. Upcoming schedule of the committee's first meeting (pending)

The committee's first meeting

Date:: 10:00-12:00, Friday, February 15, 2013
Venue:: International Conference Room, 17th floor, METI main building

Appendix

Members of the Committee for Improvement and Vitalization in City Centers under the Industrial Structure Council(PDF:138KB) (in Japanese)

Release Date

February 12, 2013

Division in Charge

Office for City Center Vitalization, Distribution and Industrial Safety Policy Group

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Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
1-3-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8901, Japan Tel: +81-(0)3-3501-1511