Japan says "decentralisation" crucial to future urban development at WUF13

Decentralisation — the transfer of economic and social activity from overcrowded megacities to the regions is key to future urban development, according to Shiomi Hideyuki, Adviser to Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

During a ministerial roundtable at the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan, Hideyuki said his country is ready to share its advanced knowledge and experience in areas such as disaster risk reduction, post-crisis recovery and reconstruction, transport-oriented urban development, affordable housing, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

“To effectively implement these efforts, it is crucial to create platforms accessible to all countries,” he noted.

Hideyuki added that Japan would continue contributing to such platforms in cooperation with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

“As part of the current forum, we will hold a panel discussion on the topic of sustainable national land resources, and we invite you to participate,” he explained.

He stressed that Japan intends to strengthen international cooperation in sustainable urban development and land management by sharing expertise in disaster prevention, infrastructure rehabilitation and transport-oriented planning.

He said Japan would also host a panel discussion on the sustainable use of national land resources as part of the event.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov