Catalysts for the Town
The 'Box' Myth That Still Dominates
A Catalyst for Revitalization
Recently, I have received various inquiries from people saying, 'I want to try a project that will act as a catalyst for the town,' and I also see articles in industry newspapers stating things like, 'Town XX has commissioned XX Research Institute to formulate a basic plan for the development of a hall (or community center, roadside station, etc.) as a catalyst for the town.'
If a town could be revitalized simply by building one 'box' that exceeds its means using the Social Capital Development Comprehensive Grant, the Public Facility Proper Management Promotion Project Bond, or the Depopulation Bond, it would be so easy, and local cities across the country would not be facing the difficulties they are today.
The town's catalyst remains an unexploded bomb forever. And if it stays an unexploded bomb, that would still be better. If it explodes, it becomes a tombstone.
The Government Building as a Symbol of the Town
A town in Kyushu that I was involved with for support work a few years ago had its government building damaged in the Kumamoto Earthquake, and it was decided to develop a massive government building costing over 10 billion yen in initial costs alone, utilizing the Emergency Preservation Project.
A government building is necessary to support the lives of citizens and also serves as a disaster response headquarters, so 'proper performance' is required. However, even at this time, despite having plenty of space on the site in a local city, they added underground parking, spaces for children to study, and so on (vaguely) one after another, and it clearly became over-spec and deviated from the office function defined under the Local Autonomy Act. Looking at it from a timeline perspective, there was still some time and room for review, so I expressed my concerns about this and at the same time seriously proposed cost control through construction management and a review of specifications. However, unfortunately, not only did these thoughts not get across, but I was met with fierce backlash, being told, 'You have given the misunderstanding that what the executive branch has explained to the assembly and citizens so far is wrong!' and was asked to provide a letter of apology.
Since they should take responsibility for the results of their own town, I did not get involved any further, but I have never heard the news that this town, where the government building has already been completed, has been revitalized with the government building as a catalyst, and the population continues to decline. Furthermore, according to a recent newspaper article, this town is considering the development of a small-scale MICE facility for 2,000 people as a new 'catalyst for the town.' Was the government building not enough?
I wrote about the infinite loop of plan creation in this note, but for this town, the infinite loop of catalyst and box-making dependent on subsidies, grants, and bond issues will surely continue until 'the town is revitalized.'
Self-Destruction by Detonation
The context of 'as a catalyst for town revitalization...' has been the royal road methodology in hardware-first administration to date, including redevelopment buildings in urban redevelopment projects, large-scale comprehensive sports parks, halls, libraries, etc., that have scaled out of the town, attracting suburban industrial parks, and government-led massive housing complex developments. However, what they all have in common is that it is nothing more than a unrealistic game of house logic that if you develop hardware, 'someone will come from all over the country on their own.' There is no way people will gather from all over the country to a place where even the people in charge and those involved do not go (or even feel like going), and if you cannot see the face of 'who' it is for, there is no way it will work. (In the perspectives created by consultants for such projects, countless people are drawn, but the 'faces of the people' are mostly blank.)
Ironically, the hardware that was supposed to be developed as a 'catalyst for the town' ends up destroying the town itself. 'Self-destruction by catalyst'—it is not something to laugh about, but numerous catalysts are self-destructing all over the country, and tombstones are springing up everywhere.
Looking Calmly
The Illusion of the Showa Era
As I wrote in my contribution to the JFMA Journal, 'If you build a box, the town will be revitalized' is a theory from the period of high economic growth. It is not that the town is revitalized because you build a box, but rather that schools, roads, etc., were developed 'after the fact' as social infrastructure to accommodate the intense upward trend and rapid population increase. In this era of current population decline, a declining birthrate and aging population, diversification of needs, and diverse choices for housing and workplaces, there is no way the theory of high economic growth can work.
It is wrong to operate with the thought circuits and behavioral logic of the Showa era when it is no longer the Showa or Heisei era. We must not forget that from the high economic growth period to the peak of the bubble, 'various things were in short supply, and intense needs were prioritized.'
Furthermore, until the peak of the bubble economy, these needs were supported by a robust, upward-trending economy, so even single-year cash-basis administration was sufficient. It is no exaggeration to say that national and local government bonds during this era were almost zero.
On the other hand, the "catalyst for the town" that is the theme of this article is meant to blow away the stagnant atmosphere and reality of a town. However, since it bets the future on a soulless box without any needs, vision, or content setup, it cannot possibly act as a catalyst in a positive direction.
Building a government office building does not change the number of office staff
“The government office is the symbol of the town”—this is a phrase that is almost always included in the basic concepts and plans when developing a massive government building. As I wrote in the note above, the only people who think of the government office as a symbol of the town are those involved in its construction. Under the Local Autonomy Act, its designation is an "office," and since it is not a place that citizens interact with on a daily basis, there is no meaning in it becoming a symbol.
And for those who blindly believe that "a government office will revitalize the town," let's think calmly. If it were the headquarters of a company whose business is expanding rapidly or a rental building, the number of employees in that box might increase, or the customer base might shift to a higher price range. However, in a government office, the number of staff remains almost constant (though it might increase if offices are consolidated due to municipal mergers, etc.), and above all, staff tend to stay holed up in their castle and rarely spend money in the town (and many are in a low-spending demographic), so it is not a factor that will dramatically improve the town's economy.
Who gets the immediate profit...?
So, who gets the immediate profit from building these box-like structures?
The design firms, general contractors, building maintenance companies involved in operations, (designated managers who receive service-purchase type management fees,) and consultants involved in basic concepts and advisory work. These people can get direct returns from the development of these box-like structures.
In particular, design firms, general contractors, and consultants receive cash at the same time as completion, and since their contractual relationship ends, they can walk away (i.e., secure their profits).
They are not there when it comes to operation, nor do they need to bear any responsibility.
Even if no one comes, or if the content and future envisioned in the basic plan are not realized, they do not lose anything. Unfortunately, the responsibility for the results must be borne by the administration that placed the order. If it does not work well, the box-like structure becomes a catalyst in a bad sense, leaving only the self-destruct button of a time bomb.
Only a "sense of accomplishment"
Even if it is a box-like structure—a time bomb—where only hardware development has proceeded without sufficient scrutiny of the vision and content, many stakeholders will gather at the completion ceremony to praise each other's efforts, and it will be filled with a "sense of accomplishment."
However, the problem with most box-like structures—the "The Public Facility"—is that this completion point becomes the goal, and thereafter it becomes an "unloved" box-like structure, a liability for municipal management.
After obtaining only a "sense of accomplishment," all that remains is a time bomb. Upon completion, the box-like structure immediately degrades into a liability, and at the same time, it ignites the fuse of a time bomb that could one day deal a fatal blow to the municipality's management.
Attractive projects in the world
On the other hand, in recent years, attractive and full-scale projects such as O-GARDEN, INN THE PARK, Kojiya, and Tugboat Taisho have begun to emerge all over the country.
There is a decisive difference between the aforementioned "The Public Facility"—the box-like structure—the time bomb, and these projects. If you look at the latter attractive projects calmly, it is not the box that is the catalyst. While the sense of the box is an important element as a starting point, what ultimately supports these is the rich content provided there, and the charm and tireless, ongoing efforts of the players surrounding it. The design of the space is linked to that.
It is not a bomb aimed at exploding in an instant, nor is it a catalyst; the big difference is that it is closely linked to content and players, gradually attracting customers and polishing the content over a long period of time.
A long fuse
Another major problem with "The Public Facility" as a "catalyst for the town" is that despite becoming a liability immediately upon completion, it takes years (sometimes decades) after completion to self-destruct and deal fatal damage to municipal management.
During that time, enormous maintenance and management costs are incurred, the value of the area declines because the box-like structure is sitting there, and even though it is already "unloved," its functionality becomes obsolete due to aging, making it even more difficult to use. By the time you realize this, you are in a situation that is beyond your control, and the only options left are demolition or radical renovation.
By the time you realize it, it is "too late." How long this fuse is and whether it is truly lit varies from bomb to bomb, and the even scarier part is that it is hard to see (and there is no one even looking).
Amoeba type
The meaning of small projects
I argue in various places that "small projects" are important.
By promoting small projects, experiential knowledge is accumulated, and the sensibility and skills to identify time bombs are naturally cultivated.
Because the scale is small, it is easy to correct course, and there are advantages such as being able to try various things, having various people involved, and not knowing how it will evolve. Furthermore, even if it explodes, the bomb itself is small, so a major advantage is that the impact on municipal management will not be that serious.
Revisiting vision and content
To prevent the 'box-building myth' and the ticking time bomb, a vision and content are once again essential.
By setting up 'what it is for and what you want to do (i.e., vision)' and 'who will do it, what they will do, at what frequency, and with what kind of balance sheet (i.e., content),' and then organizing various conditions, you can drastically reduce the risk of it becoming a 'catastrophic bomb from the start.'
This is because it becomes self-evident that a 'catalyst for the town—a project that turns the town around significantly in one shot and in an instant' is impossible.
Flexible Course Correction
Catalyst projects are often larger than the town can handle, and most rely on national subsidies, grants, or municipal bonds. Including these elements, which are difficult to 'control on your own' (even if they can be changed in terms of systems and mechanisms), makes it hard to take action.
Furthermore, the blueprint for the time bomb is constrained by basic concepts and plans that lack marketability, created by outsourcing everything to consultants over many years, making it taboo to interfere with a bomb that has already had vast management resources poured into it.
Knowing it's a bomb, yet building it anyway... how terrifying.
Conversely, if you can flexibly correct your course, you may not only be able to control the time bomb or remove the detonator, but you might also see the possibility of replacing it with a project that can properly contribute to the town's management.
Government Promotes Evolution through Systems and Policies
Let's look at concrete examples of carefully proceeding while correcting the course of each small project one by one.
In Fukuchiyama City, when utilizing closed schools, they provide institutional support by applying district planning to match the form private businesses want to use, even within urbanization control areas.
Furthermore, by flexibly operating development permits, the aforementioned S-LAB has also been established.
In Imizu City, an aging public facility, a hot spring facility for the elderly, was sold to a social welfare corporation and regenerated as the Surplay Araiarai Hot Spring.
Here, they have also improved the area's value by developing facilities like a dog run in the adjacent city park, based on citizen needs.
Both are forms of private-led, government-supported projects, but this format allows for the avoidance of the risk of becoming a 'box-building project premised on self-destruction' through private-sector management sensibilities. It goes without saying that the private sector will not undertake a project that would destroy its own organization, nor will it be able to obtain the cooperation of financial institutions.
As such real projects are carried out as points in various places around the town, and as they repeatedly intersect and separate as needed through various opportunities, the town evolves in an amoeba-like fashion.
Inducing this through systems and policies is what the government can do. While things may sometimes go in unexpected directions, it is important to have a grand vision, entrust things to the private sector, and provide necessary control and course corrections.
Management Responsibility of the Town
Whether you create a time bomb and self-destruct, or carefully accumulate small projects to reorganize the town in an amoeba-like way and promote metabolism, the future will change significantly depending on each town's resolve, decisions, and actions.
Unfortunately, those who have been involved in the super-huge bombs that cause towns to self-destruct lack management sense, so they genuinely believe in their gut that they are 'catalysts for the town.' The time bomb also expands due to considerations for vested interests and patching things up on the spot.
Those who have been involved in such bombs are even worse because they are often outside the bomb's sphere of influence.
The 'management responsibility of the town' must be taken by the people of that town.
The town is a work in progress. You cannot easily hit a home run to turn things around, and those who do not swing the bat regularly or lack the necessary skills cannot physically hit a home run in the first place.
By trial and error with projects linked to the town, you foster experiential knowledge and a sense of atmosphere, evolving the town in an amoeba-like way. In the midst of that, an opportunity may arise to deploy a project that bets the town's fate to leap even further.
You must understand that 'a catalyst on a whim' and 'a high-stakes project backed by experiential knowledge' are completely different, and as written in this note, simply making a degraded copy of nationwide examples by outsourcing to consultants will not work.
Is the 'catalyst' for your town really okay?