On March 1, 2025 UNU-IAS OUIK held a citizen session titled “Reutilization of Abandoned Plots and Houses” at a community center in Kikugawa district, Kanazawa City.
This session was part of a Participatory Action Research initiative (PAR) of the “Sustainable Urban Nature Project (SUN Project)” conducted in collaboration with the community, and it was attended by 15 citizens.
In the first part, Dr. Juan Pastoral Ivars (Researcher, OUIK) gave a lecture on the expansion of green spaces through the repurposing of vacant land and houses. He shared the social, economic, and environmental benefits that urban nature can bring, along with the results of a survey conducted in 2021. This survey revealed that local residents are concerned about depopulation and want to utilize abandoned land as a community resource.
Additionally, example of best practices from both domestic and international contexts in declining cities were presented, including Detroit city in the United States and Kanazawa’s compact city policies, as well as region-led projects like OKURIIE and Tsuzuru NPO. In the future, there are plans to collaborate with Tsuzuru NPO to engage the youth generation in creating gardens on abandoned land.
The second part of the session involved group discussions using a “sugoroku” game, which stimulated thoughts about the future of vacant houses. Participants debated various options such as restoration and ecological regeneration, leading to an increased understanding and interest in vacant houses. Attendees noted that the event provided a positive opportunity to think about the utilization of these houses while feeling a sense of community connection.
In the future, the plan is to establish a community garden in Kikugawa in May, with collaboration from farmers in the Noto Peninsula also in mind. There are also considerations for development in Wajima and Suzu, areas that have seen an increase in vacant land following earthquakes, with the goal of fostering new relationships between urban and rural areas.
Moreover, a citizen science event focusing on the biodiversity of the region through firefly surveys is scheduled for June 27. The SUN Project will continue to promote community development that leverages nature and fosters mechanisms for resident participation.
