LABS FOR RAINWATER SOCIETY
Research Background
Urban areas face various water-related problems. Rivers should provide cities with water, be lined with vegetation, and provide people and animals with enjoyment, but they are becoming less and less organic. Rainwater is shuttled underground where it cannot be seen, and then spills out in floods in unexpected areas. Sewer system plans are insufficiently aligned with river flood plans, and even if flood controls are made, the frequency of flooding remains the same. Rivers have been damaged by the concentrated heavy rains of recent years, and recovery work has further negatively impacted river environments. Earthquakes rupture water systems, cutting off peoples' access to water and creating shortages of usable toilets.
These are fundamental water management system problems. These systems are connected by pipes, so they lack autonomy and have vulnerabilities.
Compartmentalized administrative and academic systems stymie integration. Waterworks, sewers, rivers, retention ponds, and agricultural water sources are all managed by different people, and there is a great deal of compartmentalization between them, making problems exceeding difficult to solve. People cannot see underground systems, so even when there are problems, they are seldom evident.
Given this background, this project outlines a city vision for "rainwater society," society in which decentralized water management is performed through multiple generations working together, collecting and storing water in every watershed and allowing it to penetrate into the soil to grow quality vegetation, and using appropriate technologies and living in moderation. The goal of the project is to show that society can be sustainably changed through multi-generational co-creation.