2005 World Expo in Aichi, Japan: An Environmental Challenge by Sylvie Grenier Summary Most cities hosting a World Expo use this opportunity to revitalize depressed or contaminated urban areas. Unlike other expos, the 2005 World Expo is located in what was a large public park 20 kilometres from Nagoya.Japan's fourth largest city. This article examines the benefits of the Expo and questions the wisdom of investing huge amounts of money in infrastructure projects in a remote area. Sommaire La plupart des vii/es qui accueillent une exposition universe/le prof,tent de /'occasion pour revitaliser des zones urbaines deteriorees ou contaminees. Contrairement aux autres expositions universelles, celle de 2005 se deroulera a /'emplacement d'un ancien grand pare public, a 20 kilometres de Nagoya, quatrieme ville en importance du Japon. Cet article est consacre aux retombees favorables de /'exposition universe/le et met en cause la sagesse d'investir des sommes enormes dons des projets d'infrastrueture mis en reuvre a un endroit eloigne. n 1998, the Japanese Prefecture of IAichi won the right to host World Expo 2005.The two main objectives were to raise the visibility of this successful but not well-known industrial area of Japan and enhance its economy. Expo 2005 will achieve both of these objectives, but not in the way that had been planned. Long before construction began, the organizers had to adjust to an environmental lobby that succeeded in profoundly changing the original location and design of the Expo. Site Selection The first site selected was a 540-hectare area in the Kaisha Forest in the municipality of Seto on the outskirts of Nagoya. The Kaisha Forest is a satoyama, the Japanese term for a traditional landscape created by the use of the forests on low hills near rice paddies and fields. The Japanese have developed a special relationship with the low hills, because 70 percent of Japan is covered in steep mountains and its population settled at the foot of the hills by the sea. Rice farmers made ponds in the low-lying hills with sophisticated drainage systems to irrigate their terraced rice Expo2005 paddies. Constant human activity in Plan Summer/~te 2005 these areas created a rich ecosystem through the site.Areas previously The Expo demonstrates cutting-edge sustaining many different kinds of plants developed as tennis courts and other technologies for recycling and producing and animals. recreational facilities were selected as energy.All the garbage is separated into building sites for the pavilions. Existing 17 categories and recycled. Old on-site Urban expansion and the decline in woodland and ponds are protected as concrete was recycled as crushed stone. farming have led to the destruction of much as possible.About one-third of An on-site co-generation plant using many satoyamas. However, there is a the park is used as a forest experience fuel cells, solar panels and batteries new realization that these woodlands zone and features an extensive Japanese generates the energy for the adjacent play a vital role in the Japanese landscape garden. pavilions. It is being tested as a potential and ecology. The public protested energy supply for a future small community vehemently when the government made An elevated 2.6 kilometre walkway, the to be built close to the new Nagoya the decision to bu ild the 2005 Expo in Global Loop, connects the six Global ai rport. the Kaisho Forest. Opposition was so Commons. With its elevators and fierce that the Expo site was relocated ramps, the loop provides a barrier-free New Transportation 2.5 kilometres away to a 170-hectare corridor through the site. It was built Technologies park in the adjacent municipality of above ground to help preserve the Located beside Toyota City, the Nagakute keeping only 15 hectares of topography of the site, which varies headquarters of Toyota Corporation, the the originally selected site in Seto. 40 metres in elevation. The Exhibition 2005 Expo showcases new transportation pavilions have all been constructed in a The Expo is now located on two sites technologies. It is expected that 60 percent standard format to minimize the straddling two distinct municipalities: of visitors will access the site by public consequences to the environment and Nagakute and Seto. The two sites are transit. Transportation systems were control costs. The intent is to reuse the connected by a gondola and shuttle bus improved and expanded for the Expo. modules and recycle the materials. service. The 15-hectare site in the An elevated nine-kilometre maglev train former satoyama in Seto is used as an educational area on nature. Expo organizers promised to minimize the impacts of the event on the main site, Nagakute Youth Park, and return it to its former state once the Expo is over. >Interactive nm ZQne Environmental Theme The main theme of the Aichi Expo is "Nature's W isdom". The choice of this theme is somewhat ironical because, in addition to the site selection debate, Japan's environmental record often conflicts with nature.After the war, it quickly rebuilt its economy by devoting all national resources to economic growth, purposely keeping planning and Nagakute Area environmental controls weak. When rebuilding cities, little value was given to the environment and the conservation >GfQbel Commom,: 1-6 >Forest Experience Zone of green spaces. Japan is famous for its extensive capital works projects designed to control nature e.g., the routine paving of river beds and banks, giving the overall impression of a country fighting against nature rather The Expo showcases the use of traditional line was built as an extension to the than seeking its wisdom. and new technologies to build eco­ Nagoya subway to the Expo site. It The Expo 2005 experience may be communities. For example, the outer connects with another railway line to helping to change this traditional approach. shell of the Japan Pavilion is made of the east. New highways were built; It introduces eco-friendly technologies bamboo, which has long been used as a roadways were improved.A new 24-hour and showcases ways to protect the natural and cheap sunshade in Japan. The airport was constructed on a new man­ environment through the event's site roof of the pavilion is sprinkled with made island, one of many such islands in planning, operation and transportation. recycled water, which is another traditional Japan where land is scarce. method to lower the temperature To minimize the impact on the park, On-site transportation includes gondolas, inside a building. pavilions were grouped in Global driverless IMTS buses (Intelligent Commons rather than scattered Multimode Transit System), a tram and Plan Summer/ Ete 2005 - electric bicycle taxis on the Global Loop. building standards are based on using While the Expo has many benefits, one Six remote parking lots were built on new materials; recycling materials for cannot help question the wisdom of an additional 50 hectares of land to new buildings may be an issue unless investing huge amounts in infrastructure accommodate I0 ,600 cars. Fuel cell hybrid standards are modified. Recognizing this projects in a remote area. The new buses provide a shuttle service between problem, organizers are looking into infrastructure will no doubt ensure the the parking lots and the Expo site. auctioning materials on the Internet to future development toward the east of sell them on the international market. Nagoya. Could it have been invested Environmental Costs more wisely elsewhere? The final In spite of its theme and the showcasing The Legacy answer to this question will depend on of many new environmental technologies, The Expo is a source of pride for Japan. the kind of development decisions made there is still reason to wonder if the Already, the Expo has met its prime in this region in the future, concerning Expo really marks a new departure in objectives: increased visibility and both the Expo site and also the new environmental consciousness.The decision economic benefits.As a promotional areas now accessible by highways and to hold the event on land within Japan's tool, the Expo has fostered the image public transit. • dwindling supply of green spaces when of the area and increased tourism and several alternative sites for redevelopment international exchanges. It has an were available means that the Expo may important economic impact by creating just add to the thrust of development more than 20,000 jobs and injecting Sylvie Grenier, MCIP, RPP, is a consultant onto fragile natural sites. US$30 billion in the local economy. on urban issues and lives in Nagoya, Japan. As well, the public debate about the Great investments were made in building She can be reached at: sylviegrenier@bellnetca protection of the satoyama had two new highways in an undeveloped area. positive effects. First, it raised public This will encourage the use of cars, awareness on the need to protect sprawl and congestion. Nagoya, which Japan's environment. It helped create a prides itself on the number of new national volunteer program to maintain highways and wide arterials, already satoyamas and preserve the limited exemplifies the correlation between supply of green road building and congestion. Its new spaces around cities. road network has decreased its transit Second, the unusual share to 30 percent, by far the lowest success in changing a transit share among the large Japanese government planning cities (80 percent in Tokyo and 70 percent decision helped to in Osaka). build the burgeoning There are several other examples of public participation negative environmental outcomes. Part movement in Japan. of another satoyama was quietly destroyed to build one of the remote parking lots. Building a massive structure such as the Global Loop to minimize the environmental consequences to the site is somewhat contradictory, particularly since nature under the loop is destroyed in several areas to accommodate parking, storage and transportation uses.