What Hiroshima’s recovery can teach modern cities about urban land

When thinking of Hiroshima, the first thing that may come to mind is the devastation caused by the atomic bomb in 1945. However, Hiroshima's story is not just one of destruction but also of remarkable recovery and resilience.

The city's post-war reconstruction offers valuable lessons for urban development, particularly about land management and administration. That’s why Hiroshima was chosen to host the latest World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) Technical Deep Dive (TDD), which was focused on urban land.

The weeklong knowledge exchange workshop brought together land specialists from 10 low- and middle-income countries and a region to learn from Hiroshima and Japan’s expertise. As cities around the globe grapple with land-related challenges stemming from rapid urbanization, climate change, and infrastructure deficits, Hiroshima’s experience can teach us important lessons.

Workshop participants to TDLC’s Technical Deep Dive on urban land. Photo credit: World Bank

Why urban land matters

Urban land management and administration are the foundation for efficient urban development. However, many developing countries face the challenge of rapid urbanization outpacing the maturity of their land administration systems.

This has led to issues such as informal settlements in disaster-prone areas, unregulated land use, and uncontrolled urban sprawl. Strengthening urban land administration and management are therefore crucial steps toward creating more livable and sustainable cities – which is one of the reasons why the World Bank is scaling up its investments in land tenure and administration. The World Bank will also host the next Land Conference in Washington, DC from May 5 to 8, 2025, focused on the foundational role of securing land tenure and access for climate action.

“The World Bank has launched recently an ambition to double our investments in land,” said Mika-Petteri Torhonen, Lead Land Administration Specialist at the World Bank. “That means that we will be engaging in more countries and cities with investments in land records, cadaster records, evaluation, planning, permitting, and licensing. That will impact how land is used across the world.”

Hiroshima: a case study in resilience

Hiroshima's post-war reconstruction is a compelling case study in both land administration and land management.

For example, the atomic explosion in 1945 caused catastrophic damage to the Motomachi district, which was where Hiroshima’s military facilities were concentrated. While some temporary public housing was built afterwards to house the survivors, Hiroshima still faced a severe housing shortage. As such, informal settlements sprung up along the city’s riverbanks, which were plagued by frequent fires. The area’s redevelopment became an urgent municipal issue.

The Motomachi Redevelopment Project began in 1969, facilitated by the Hiroshima Peace City Construction Law. This law provided special assistance from the national government, including the transfer of federal military-use lands to the city and implementation of land readjustment to enable the construction of residential housing, essential infrastructure such as roads, and civic facilities like the Hiroshima Central Library.

Upon completion, thousands of people moved from the informal settlements into new mid- and high-rise apartments constructed in and around Moto-machi. The last apartment was completed in 1978, finishing a massive postwar reconstruction project.

Participants learning about the history of informal settlements in the Motomachi area and the construction of public housing. Photo credit: World Bank

Learning from Hiroshima

Hiroshima's experience offers several valuable lessons for modern cities facing similar urban land challenges:

1. Land readjustment – a practice known in Japanese as “Kukaku seiri” - was a key part of Hiroshima’s reconstruction. After the explosion, land was redistributed among former owners after reserving space for green areas and roads such as the Peace Memorial Park and Peace Boulevard, resulting in major changes to the city’s urban layout.

2. Community involvement was a crucial element. The city's recovery efforts involved significant community participation, with the city and prefecture government working with landowners and the people who lived in Motomachi’s informal settlements to propose infrastructure and facility improvements and move them into new homes, ensuring their needs and concerns were addressed.

3. Comprehensive planning was a key aspect of Hiroshima's post-war recovery. The city's planning emphasized safety, green spaces, and social cohesion, including elements like rooftop gardens and sports facilities. This comprehensive approach ensured that the city's reconstruction was not just about rebuilding structures but also about creating a more livable and inclusive urban environment.

Towards a more peaceful and livable future

Ultimately, the most important lesson we can learn from Hiroshima is the profound value of peace.

 As part of the workshop, participants visited Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park on the same day that the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, a group of atomic bomb survivors for their nuclear disarmament efforts. The visit served as a reminder that peace is the bedrock of a more livable planet.

As cities around the world navigate the complexities of urbanization, climate change, and infrastructure development, the lessons from Hiroshima's post-war reconstruction offer a roadmap for a more sustainable, resilient, and peaceful future.

Please view the event photos here.