Transforming a Central Tokyo Park Into a Cutting‐Edge Commercial Complex: Miyashita Park, Shibuya

Junichi Hasegawa
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Junichi Hasegawa: Faculty of Economics, Keio University, Japan

Urban Planning, 2026, vol. 11

Abstract: This study examines a case of urban renewal in Shibuya, one of Tokyo’s most prominent downtown areas, featuring Miyashita Park, a dilapidated 10,000‐square‐meter park that transformed into a modern commercial complex consisting of a multistory commercial building with a roof park and an 18‐story hotel. Shibuya Ward, the park’s administrator, selected private companies—initially Nike Japan and subsequently Mitsui Fudosan—as the redevelopment agency to install and operate park facilities—a public–private partnership that went beyond the conventional park concept by building sophisticated commercial facilities. This redevelopment, which began at the end of the 2000s, was met with fierce opposition. To investigate these dynamics, the article draws on qualitative content analysis of Shibuya Ward Assembly minutes (2008–2020), obtained from the official digital archive, alongside media coverage. By systematically reviewing committee and plenary debates where key policy decisions were made, the study traces how the project was planned, debated, and implemented. The findings show that despite legal ambiguities and strong criticism, the ward advanced the project by framing the park as an unprofitable facility requiring private‐sector expertise, redefining regulatory boundaries, and limiting resident participation to a formal procedure. This process illuminates how public–private‐partnership‐led redevelopment, embedded in Japan’s broader neoliberal urbanism, can proceed through strong political conviction at the local level amid opposition and limited transparency. The study contributes to international debates on urban public space, highlighting how local governments act not only as regulators but also as active promoters of privatization and the erosion of urban commons.

Keywords: Miyashita Park; public–private partnership; Shibuya; Tokyo; urban renewal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cog:urbpla:v11:y:2026:a:11024

DOI: 10.17645/up.11024

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