Understanding Risk Global Forum 2024 TDLC Focus Day Session: Designing Resilient Cities through Data-Driven Solutions in a Riskier World – Lessons Learned from Japan and the World

Cities face increasing risks from climate change, rapid urbanization, and natural hazards. The needs of urban residents are diversifying, complicating administrative issues are becoming more complicated as a consequence, making it even more challenging for local governments. Digitalization and spatial data offer transformative potential and to empower themselves with informed decision-making for more sustainable and equitable urban planning. 

On June 20, 2024, the World Bank’s Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC), hosted a focus session around the theme “Designing Resilient Cities through Data-Driven Solutions in a Riskier World – Lessons Learned from Japan and the World.” This TDLC knowledge event benefited from technical inputs from the City Planning Labs (CPL), a program supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and delivered during the Understanding Risk Global Forum 2024 (UR24) held on June 16 -21, 2024 in Himeji City, Japan. UR24 brought together government officials, NGOs, businesses and disaster management experts from Japan and around the world to discuss strategies for better understanding and managing risks from natural disasters. 

Designing Resilient Cities through Data-Driven Solutions

Data is essential for understanding risks, prioritizing solutions, and finding optimal financial solutions. Geospatial data, remote sensing, and satellite imagery enhance urban planning. Challenges in human resources and technology limit the effectiveness of data use. Developing countries struggle to integrate data use into mainstream planning, creating digital divides. Legal frameworks and institutional capacities are often missing to support data ecosystems. 

The focus session tacked these issues through a fireside chat with the mayor of city of Toyama, Japan on how Toyama leverages data utilization combined with their compact city policy to promote inclusive and resilient growth. The fireside chat was followed by a panel discussion featuring four speakers and their city and country experiences on leveraging data for urban development. The final segment was an interactive session featuring an example of tools using data and analytics in improving city planning and resilience. 

Fireside Chat：Resilient by Design- Planning and City-building with Data in Toyama City

Toyama City, a relatively small Japanese city (population 410,000), is known in Japan for its compact and smart city policies to promote inclusive and resilient growth.  Mayor Hirohisa Fujii shared how Toyama City responded to issues such as urban sprawl, inadequate public transportation, and rising administrative costs. By implementing the compact city policy, public transportation was revitalized and encouraged residents to live near its routes. By analyzing population and location data of public facilities and residential areas, the city has created an environment where residents can easily access administrative services within walking distance. This approach prevented excessive population concentration and promotes the efficient distribution of various facilities across the city. 

Toyama City's smart city policy has encouraged greater involvement from both residents and companies in building a resilient city by sharing data in a publicly accessible, visual format. This data is instrumental in enhancing disaster preparedness measures as well. Finally, The recent Noto Peninsula earthquake demonstrated the compact city policy’s effectiveness in facilitating citizen access to services and disaster preparedness.

City Spotlights Panel: Data-Driven Solutions for Resilient Urban Planning, Governance, and Reconstruction

Japan (Kobe City). The city government faced financial difficulties and a reduction in personnel after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995. The city took this opportunity to reform its operations to increase efficiency in city operations and digitalization was a critical ingredient. The city developed the Kobe Data Lounge, a data utilization tool “by the government for the government”, to efficiently promote evidence-based policy making. 

Indonesia (Semarang City). The city successfully transitioned from using ad hoc models of planning and investments to data-driven decision-making and infrastructure prioritization. Its data platform collected real-time data during the COVID-19 pandemic and supported participatory planning by incorporating citizen feedback. 

Kenya: Kenya faces data governance challenges, especially in second-tier cities. Efforts are underway to create consensus among all the key stakeholders on the need for data-driven decision-making built on a strong data governance framework. The State Department of Housing and Urban Development is working closely with key national agencies and municipalities to create a National Urban Observatory that will make data available to a wide range of stakeholders. 

Ukraine: Amid Russia’s military invasion, Ukraine faces the challenge of properly assessing damages on the housing stock. Digital tools for data collection were created, and compensation mechanisms for citizens were implemented. Data is critical for these assessments to reconstruct housing. 

Hands-On Exercise 

Participants used the "Suitability" tool developed by CPL, in collaborative planning simulations, focusing on sustainable living, basic needs, and flood-avoidant affordable housing.