Scenic Landscape Research Team

Recently, society has made strong requests for landscaping and tourism following the promulgation of the Landscape Law and Standard Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Law. The infrastructure such as roads requires consideration for landscaping and usage for tourism. Also, in Hokkaido, tourism is an important industry.Many tourists come from within Japan and from abroad seeking the beautiful scenery. This has increased the need for research in this field. Our unit conducts research to promote these areas by improving infrastructure quality and value as a contribution to regional development.

The unit studies evaluation methods for road landscapes, methods for improving landscapes in cold snowy regions and conducts a broad range of other road landscaping research. The results are compiled in the Hokkaido Road Design Book (tentative title).To facilitate landscaping construction in public spaces, the unit conducts research into design technologies that improve the social effects of landscapes, and the functionality and charm of walking spaces in tourist spots and urban districts.

To provide comfortable rest areas in the michi-no-eki( road stations) that are very effective in regional developments, the unit conducts research into methods for making the rest facilities at michi-no-eki (road stations) more attractive and design technologies for roadside parking areas. The unit also studies easier-to-understand introductory and guide methods for tourist spots.