Building Resilient Cities: How RIA is Redefining Urban Planning and Sustainable Construction in Japan

Let’s begin with the theme of urban planning and regional revitalization. Japan’s first major construction boom took place more than 50 years ago, in 1964. Today, many of the country’s cities—especially regional areas outside of Tokyo—are grappling with aging infrastructure in urgent need of repair and renewal. At the same time, Japan faces a profound demographic challenge, with a rapidly aging and shrinking population driven by low birth rates. Projections suggest that by 2060, over 40% of the population will be over the age of 65. These trends force construction companies and urban planners to fundamentally rethink how cities will function in the future—not just in terms of rebuilding, but rebuilding smarter. Given this backdrop, what strategies are guiding RIA’s approach to addressing aging infrastructure and building more resilient, sustainable communities?

Following World War II, Japan experienced a major economic boom, particularly in the 1960s. The mindset at that time was to build as much as possible, as quickly as possible. However, modern Japan now faces an entirely different set of circumstances—including a declining birth rate and an aging society—that have shifted the priorities and challenges of urban and regional planning. Today, everyone is asking: what should the future of our cities look like?

At RIA, we operate not only in metropolitan centers but also in local City centers around all Japan, where the situation is even more severe. These localities are grappling with the demographic crisis while also facing increasingly tight financial constraints. Market sizes are shrinking, leading to decreased demand for both housing and office space.

Research suggests that some municipalities may disappear altogether, and experts predict Japan’s national population could fall below 100 million by 2050. Alarmingly, around 60% of Japanese cities expect their populations to shrink to just 70% of their current size. As a result, every city is searching for ways to ensure its survival—and we’re committed to helping them find viable, sustainable paths forward.

One initiative coming from Japan’s central government is the idea of “Compact +plus Network” building compact urban networks. This idea is to concentrate residential and commercial facilities in the center of the city where the infrastructures are located. This approach will make the cities efficient and improve people’s quality of life. On the other hand, deteriorated city center has many problems such as safety and attractiveness. We focus on revitalizing city centers.

Revitalization is not only creating offices and residences, but more importantly creating attractive places with like common space and plaza where people want to live, where the base of activity. 

What we’re ultimately aiming for is to create an environment that naturally draws people into the heart of the city. To achieve this, we believe in promoting multi-functional, mixed-use buildings. They have many purposes, for example, residence, office, commercial facilities, clinics and so on. This kind of design fosters interaction among people from all walks of life, encouraging communication, connection, and the exchange of ideas.

Our vision isn’t just about the “hard” side of urban planning—the physical structures. It’s also about the “soft” side: the social dynamics and human experiences that give cities their true vitality. We want to help cities across Japan not only survive, but evolve into dynamic, people-centered communities.

Happiring, a multi-complex building (left building), has a glass-topped plaza for citizen’s activities in front of the building. Fukumachi-Block (right building) also has some facilities for community.

The glass-topped plaza of Happiring.

In our planning approach, we place strong emphasis on creating environments where people can generate their own activities and connections organically. That’s why we consistently advocate for multi-complex building—structures that blend residential, commercial, and communal spaces—to naturally facilitate interaction and community building.

A good example of this can be seen at “CenTerrace” an urban renewal project in Kagoshima. Over time, the city center had fallen into decline, and people coming into the area gradually decreased. There was a growing consensus among both local business leaders and citizens that something needed to be done to revitalize the heart of the city.

In response, the landowners established an organization dedicating its redevelopment with strong support from local investors and regional banks. They recognized that the corner lot near the main street still held strong economic potential. But instead of keeping it exclusive, they made the space open and accessible to the public. That openness, and the commitment to inclusivity, became the foundation for revitalizing the area. It wasn’t just about infrastructure, it was about creating a place where people wanted to gather, live, and contribute to a shared future.

CenTerrace a redevelopment project in Kagoshima, the corner lot is used for citizen’s activity. 

For decades, Japan’s construction industry has been shaped by a scrap-and-build mentality—driven in part by seismic vulnerability and the need to regularly rebuild rather than preserve long-lasting structures. However, this approach is becoming less viable today, especially as demand for new buildings declines and city consolidation accelerates. Small regional towns are closing, and the focus is shifting. Fortunately, new technologies—such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) and other sustainable materials—are making it possible to build longer-lasting, more resilient structures. From your perspective, what is the current direction of Japan’s construction industry? Is the focus still on scrap-and-build, or is there a shift toward permanent resilience? And if so, what technologies or innovations do you see as essential to driving that transformation?

Let me give you an example from a project we worked on in Shikoku. There was an old shopping center that we renovated into a community hall. One of the first things we did was remove the floor slab and create an atrium for a large theater space —but rather than tearing the entire structure down, we chose to renovate. In that sense, this wasn’t a scrap-and-build project, but a thoughtful transformation. This kind of approach is increasingly common in Japan, and we are actively expanding our work in this area.

A renovation project in Shikoku. We converted the shop floor to a music hall.

The music hall newly created through renovation.

A major reason for the rise in renovation-focused projects is the current financial climate in Japan. If the budget is tight, we would have to reinforce the old building and add some new functions demanded now. Whether we’re building something new or renovating an existing space, our approach is always centered around the people who will use it. It’s not just about physical structure—it’s about fostering long-term sustainability for the surrounding community.

Your company offers something of an aerial view of the construction industry. You’re not a traditional general contractor or architectural firm—instead, you operate more as a construction project management company. Can you explain how your independence from conventional firms benefits your clients? And how does this position give you a competitive edge in the market?

Let me explain how we approach project management. When we take on a project, there are always numerous stakeholders involved—starting with the developers, but also including landowners, local residents, and municipal authorities. All these parties play a role in the redevelopment of a city.

Our role is to act as a neutral and transparent intermediary. We align ourselves closely with the citizens living in the community, ensuring that their interests, benefits, and long-term wellbeing are considered. At the same time, we work to maintain clear and open communication with developers, municipalities, and local government officials. It’s essential that everyone involved feels heard, respected, and aligned with the direction of the project.

Transparency is key to this process. We ensure that all communication is clear and that decisions are made fairly—without favoring one stakeholder over another. That balance is something we hold as a core value, and it’s what allows us to build trust across all sides. This impartial approach is a key aspect of our competitive advantage and a cornerstone of how we manage projects effectively.

Nakano South Terra a redevelopment project  in Tokyo.

If you were to take on an overseas project, what qualities would you look for in an ideal partner? What kind of organization or collaborator would be the right fit for your model and philosophy?

Domestically, we already work with a range of partners—including local governments like in Kagoshima, regional banks, and local residents. These collaborations are essential to how we approach community revitalization.

That said, we don’t currently have any formal partnerships overseas. If we were to engage in an international project, our first instinct might be to collaborate with a Japanese company already operating abroad.  

However, we believe our business model is suited to what we call “standard cities” —cities with a balance of existing infrastructure, cultural identity, and community potential. These are the types of environments where our philosophy and approach can truly make a meaningful impact. It's common to hear about towns falling into decline around the world, and we can empathize with that. There may be opportunities for collaboration with local government.

That said, I’ve observed some interesting developments abroad, particularly in cities like Seattle and Portland. These areas are undergoing revitalization efforts aimed at addressing social issues, such as crime, with an emphasis on fairness and equity. However, they also face the challenge of gentrification, where economic disparities can widen as redevelopment progresses.

We believe our approach—one that emphasizes inclusivity, long-term sustainability, and the integration of human-centered design—could very well be applicable in such contexts. While our experience is rooted in Japan, the underlying philosophy of building communities that support both people and place have global relevance.

From our research, we understand that RIA has maintained a presence in China since the early 2000s, with the focus today functioning more as a strategic radar than a direct revenue source. Could you share the current status of your operations in China and how that presence fits into your broader vision?

In China, we have participated in a number of development project competitions and have won some of them. We also do a lot of architectural design, one of them has won the Architectural Society of China Award.

In China, many Japanese construction companies are active, and the Japan government is also supporting them. RIA also exchanges information with these companies and participates in some projects with them.

Currently, our base in China is not a major source of revenue. However, we are constantly receiving orders for architectural planning and design work. In addition, we are also actively involved in the senior citizen business in China, designing more than 50 showrooms for the elderly.

If there is a project that can make use of our expertise, we have a system in place to accept it at any time.

Let’s imagine we return in 2029 to sit down for another interview. What goals or dreams would you hope to have achieved by then, both for RIA and for the communities you serve?

Our guiding philosophy— “connecting local life to the future”, means we must stay deeply engaged with local communities.

To that end, we’ve started immersing ourselves more deeply in the local community, taking a hands-on role in regional revitalization. We are preparing to establish an organization for city revitalization ourselves. We hope to expand locally rooted initiatives across Japan. I want people to say, “When RIA get involved, the town feels alive again.”

Ultimately, our goal is to sow the seeds of the future—creating the conditions for sustainable, community-driven transformation to take root and flourish.

For more information, please visit their website at: https://www.ria.co.jp/   

To read more about RIA, check out this article about them.