What is the "SDG City Block" being developed in Niseko?

In a nutshell, the "SDGs Community" being developed in Niseko is a model for a sustainable living space. Plans are underway to create a highly sustainable district in the suburbs of Niseko from the perspectives of the environment, economy, and society.

The gray-roofed area is the planned "SDGs District.

Niseko Town has been developing its community in a way that is consistent with the direction of the SDGs, such as "practicing self-governance through resident participation and information sharing," "working as an environmental model city," and "creating its own development rules.

In this context, Niseko Town was selected as an "SDGs Future City" as a local government that proposes outstanding initiatives to achieve the SDGs. The development of the Niseko Living Model District, also known as the "SDGs Town District," was selected as a "Municipal SDGs Model Project" for its outstanding and pioneering efforts.

The development was undertaken by Niseko Machi Corporation, a public-private partnership established by the Town of Niseko, local businesses, and a group of experts. The town of Niseko, the local business community, and Kogeisha Club Vauban invested 38%, 34%, and 28%, respectively, to establish Niseko Machi in July 2020.

（Commemorative photo of the establishment of Nisekomachi Co.

The development of the "SDGs Town" is underway in the Fujimi district of Niseko Town. In an area of approximately 9 ha (90,000 m2) on the outskirts of the city, which used to be mostly farmland, the plan is to create residential spaces such as rental and for-sale housing complexes and shared houses, as well as places for relaxation such as laundry cafes, workshops, and plazas. Currently, the residential portion of the project is planned to be large enough to accommodate a maximum of 400~500 people.

Perspective view of the exterior of the residential section

Interior perspective of the residential section

The final form of the town block will be completed in about 10 years. The urban plan will be divided into the first through fourth construction zones, and will evolve over time. Rather than building only a single building at a time, the project is always conscious of the need to flexibly change the scale and use of the building in response to the surrounding environment and its needs.

Overall image of the city block plan

Construction of the first construction zone is scheduled to begin in 2022, followed by construction in the spring of 2023, with occupancy beginning in 2024.

While we have an ideal picture of the kind of town we want to create, the plan itself is quite flexible. If there is a need or a change in the surrounding environment, such as 'a more compact development would be nice,' or 'it would be nice to have a small store here,' we try to be as flexible as possible in our planning."

The SDGs District is one way to solve Niseko's local issues.

Why did the plan to develop the "SDGs Town" in Niseko come about in the first place? It was to solve the environmental, economic, and social issues that Niseko residents are facing.

From an environmental standpoint, climate change is an issue that will have a major impact on the town of Niseko, whose main industries are agriculture and tourism. In 2020, Niseko declared a state of climate emergency, aiming to achieve virtually zero emissions of greenhouse gases that cause global warming by 2050.

Niseko Town Declaration of Climate Emergency

Niseko Town also has a large number of immigrants from Japan and abroad, and its population has increased slightly, which is unusual for a farming village. Many people commute to work and school from surrounding municipalities, increasing the bustle of the town. On the other hand, the number of town-owned housing units is limited, and due to soaring land prices and construction costs, the town is currently unable to provide a satisfactory supply of housing units in terms of both number and price. Furthermore, according to the results of a survey conducted by the town of Niseko (2018 and 2019), many households indicated that they would like to consider moving to a new house in the future. The survey also revealed that many people want to reduce their winter burdens, such as "I want to live in a house that is warmer in the winter," "It is getting harder to remove snow and maintain my garden," and "I want to reduce my utility bills."

Results of a survey of town residents

The development of the Niseko Living Model District, or "SDGs District," was planned in Niseko as a solution to these local problems, to reduce energy consumption to the minimum, and to provide a place for existing Niseko residents to move to.

The keys are "energy" and "community development

There are a number of things we want to achieve in the SDGs District, but the keys are "reducing energy consumption and promoting economic circulation within the community" and "creating a community where people want to continue to live.

The first key is to "reduce energy consumption and promote economic circulation within the community. The first key is to reduce energy consumption and promote economic circulation within the community.

With the cooperation of WELLNEST HOME, with whom we have concluded a comprehensive cooperation agreement, we will reduce heat and electricity demand to the absolute minimum by installing thick insulation, high-performance plastic sash windows with triple-glazing as standard, and high-efficiency appliances and equipment to make the buildings highly insulated and airtight. As a result, residents will not only be able to live warmly and comfortably, but they will also be able to reduce their financial burden by significantly reducing their utility bills. We also believe that for the local community, if the reduced energy consumption can be returned within the community, economic circulation within the community will increase and the community will become more affluent.

Left: Image of insulation and wall structure Right: Image of high-performance plastic sash with triple-glazing as standard

Furthermore, we plan to establish an "energy center" that will supply electricity and heat within the community in the future.

The "Energy Center" is a system for generating electricity and heat within the city block and supplying it to each residence, in other words, a facility for circulating energy within the community. In the future, we would like to increase the percentage of renewable energy in the energy produced, and we are currently experimenting with solar panels.

Solar panels under experimentation

The panels will be installed on the roof of the parking lot in the foreground.

In collaboration with a solar panel manufacturer, they are conducting an experiment to see if solar panels can withstand the weight of snow in Niseko, an area with heavy snowfall. If the results are positive, the plan is to install them on the roof of the parking lot in the first construction zone. In addition, EV charging booths are scheduled to be installed in the parking lot. The company has concluded a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Hokkaido Electric Power Company, Inc. to promote joint development and demonstration experiments.

Another key to "creating a community where people want to continue to live" is to dare to leave blank spaces. One of the margins is to create a flexible plan that can be updated according to needs and the environment, but there are also many other margins left in this district.
For example, there is a grass square of about 250m x 50m planned in the middle of the district. For example, it is a shared space that can be used in a variety of ways.

For example, the plaza could be used not only for children to run around energetically, but also for barbecues in the summer, or for events such as beer gardens. For example, once a week, stores that are usually hard to get to could come by for a mobile shopping experience, or a community cafeteria could be set up where restaurants from the town could come and offer a daily lunch at lunchtime. Or, you might be able to have a doctor examine you through the screen and prescribe medicine at a nearby drugstore. We would like to leave such a margin of space where we can try new initiatives to meet the needs of residents both inside and outside the town area.

Building a Comfortable Relationship with Niseko Town Residents

Niseko Machi Co., Ltd. is not only focused on the SDGs. Our mission is to make the entire town of Niseko more comfortable, not just the people who live in the town.

The SDGs District is a great opportunity to make the entire town of Niseko a more livable place to live.

In addition, in order to have people get to know and become familiar with the district, they are also trying to decide on a nickname for the district based on ideas gathered from the townspeople. The town of Niseko and the surrounding municipalities were invited to participate in the project, and as many as 117 applications were received. The SDGs Machiiku initiative will gradually become more familiar to the town of Niseko and surrounding municipalities through various initiatives in the future.

Flyer distributed during the township name application process

The town will provide high-performance housing and create a community where residents will want to continue to live. Niseko Machi Corporation, whose vision is to "enhance the value of Niseko as a world-class sustainable town," and whose top priority is the people who live and will live in Niseko Town, will surely create a wonderful community that will grow together with the town.

We cannot take our eyes off "SDGs Town". Please keep your eyes on it.