BUILDING SMARTER CITES
Yokohama shares its expertise
Yokohama is a role model for turning an urban area that once relied on heavy industry into a smart city where liveable communities coexist harmoniously with industrial and commercial areas. Now it is exporting its expertise to an industrial estate in eastern Thailand.
Japanese planners and their Thai counterparts believe they can create the equivalent of a second Yokohama in Chon Buri under a project called Sabai District — Smart Atmosphere for Business, Art and Intelligence.
Japan’s second largest city by population behind Tokyo, with approximately 3.7 million inhabitants, Yokohama has developed expertise in urban development as a result of a tumultuous history that has included earthquakes and war, explosive population growth and pollution rising from economic development.
To overcome the “five wars” of urbanisation — waste disposal, traffic congestion, air pollution, water supply, and scarcity of public spaces — the mayor of Yokohama in 1965 established six urban planning initiatives. Those initiatives — Kohoku New Town, the municipal subway, central business district redevelopment (Minato Mirai), the Kanazawa waterfront, the highway network and the Yokohama Bay Bridge — were given high priority to reinforce the city’s core strengths.
Widespread collaboration from citizens and the private sector has helped to transform Yokohama into one of the most liveable and vibrant cities in the world. Now its planners are ready to tackle a new set of challenges including climate change, a declining birthrate and ageing population, and deterioration of urban infrastructure.
With a goal of sharing its accumulated knowledge, Yokohama has been working with other cities that face similar challenges. In Thailand it has also formed a partnership with the industrial estate developer Amata Corporation to help with integrated urban planning and application of technology under the government’s Smart City programme.
The aim of the Sabai District is to provide a comfortable, smart district to work, learn and interact, according to Toru Hashimoto, manager for international cooperation with the City of Yokohama. It envisions a mixeduse development comprising offices and commercial buildings as well as facilities for meetings, conventions, art, entertainment and hospitality.
The Yokohama-Amata Smart Sabai District, as it’s known, is intended to be a high-quality urban area for pedestrian-oriented development, promoting interaction of people and equipped with low-carbon, intelligent technologies to foster global digital connections.
“We’re still ‘cooking’ the ideas. One idea is to make some areas of the estate into a gateway called Sabai District. It’s a serious effort,” said Mr Hashimoto.
“Of course we have many technologies. We need a real package to make that area a smart city. It should be a mixed-use area. So far, Amata Chon Buri is good for industries but not for living, shopping or intellectual activities. So you need more and more of those smart city areas outside of Bangkok, I believe.”
Mr Hashimoto told Asia Focus that Yokohama’s agreement with Amata is openended, starting with this project.
“We strongly believe that a smart city is not just an assembly of technologies. It is not. We have to make the city liveable, workable, a place for entertaining, interacting and enjoying. Without that, I don’t think all the technology is meaningful. This is where Yokohama has the expertise,” he pointed out.
Pongsakorn Limpakarnwech, manager of business development at Amata Corp, told Asia Focus that initially, approximately 100 rai of land at the Amata estate in Chon Buri “will be developed into a smart city with an aim of reducing congestion and making the city more liveable”.
That site currently serves as a commercial area with amenities including schools, restaurants and hospitals. Another 6,100 rai of undeveloped land at the estate is also ready to be developed under a smart city concept, he added.
“Talks began last year with Amata sending a team to see the development of Yokohama city. Over the past two months,
the Yokohama team came to our estate in Chon Buri to work on the details of the plan together,” Mr Pongsakorn said.
The study is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
Chon Buri is among seven provinces chosen by the Thai government to be developed as smart cities, along with Phuket, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Bangkok, Rayong and Chachoengsao.
The government is placing a high priority on smart city development with a view of using digital technology for better quality of life in both economic and social aspects, according to Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong.
The National Smart City Committee is overseeing initiatives corresponding to local contexts, ranging from smart living and smart environment to smart mobility, smart energy, smart economy and smart governance, he said at a recent seminar co-hosed by the Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro).
“The smart city refers to a city that leverages cutting-edge technology and innovation to enhance the efficiency of city management and services, while saving on costs and resources,” said ACM Prajin.
“The focus will be placed on participation from the business and people sectors, under the theme of a liveable and sustainable city for everyone.”
Participating agencies in the National Smart City Committee are the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa), the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), and the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO).
At the last Asean Summit, leaders agreed to establish the Asean Smart Cities Network (ASCN) to exchange experience and technology. Seizing these opportunities, Jetro and Thailand are teaming up on tangible developments, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Currently, 26 cities are participating in the Asean pilot smart city network. They include Bangkok, Chon Buri, Phuket, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Yangon, Nay Pyi Daw,
Mandalay, Jakarta, Battambang, Manila, Cebu, Davao, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Hanoi and Da Nang.
“Three main success factors of smart city development include a real need from local businesses and citizens to shape their own smart city, government leadership to push the smart city on the national agenda, and collaboration among the central and local governments, businesses and people in the form of public-private partnership,” said Pichet Durongkaveroj, Minister of Digital Economy and Society.
Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, the president and CEO of Depa, said the agency together with businesses and local authorities in Phuket are piloting the Phuket Smart City, focusing on four areas: smart tourism, smart safety, smart environment and smart economy.
Depa has also joined with the Smart City Alliance to conduct a field study in Laem Chabang Municipality and Pattaya City, focusing on smart safety, smart mobility, smart environment, and automated call centres.
The OTP, meanwhile, is responsible for improving the quality of life through smart transport systems that help foster a safe and clean environment. As well, EPPO is piloting its smart energy initiative at Amata Industrial Estate, aiming to minimise the use of energy and promoting energy innovation for long-term competitiveness.
While Phuket focuses on smart tourism, Khon Kaen in the Northeast has expertise in health services so it is focusing on a smart health concept, Mr Nattapon noted.
Depa is also responsible for the Smart AEC (Asean Economic Community) programme that consists of a smart port and smart manufacturing (smarter and greener factories using data analysis). There will be tax incentives of up to eight years for investors, plus a five-year grace period, for 13 years in total.
Depa will offer “smart visas” good for four years for investors, senior executives, startup entrepreneurs and service providers, and experts such as professors from Japan, to do business and take part in education in Thailand.
We strongly believe that a smart city is not just an assembly of technologies. ... We have to make the city liveable, workable, a place for entertaining, interacting and enjoying. Without that, I don’t think all the technology is meaningful TORU HASHIMOTO Manager for international cooperation, City of Yokohama