Roppongi Hills: Tokyo's integrated urban community and mixed-use development

Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, Japan

The Roppongi Hills is one of Tokyo's largest in newest urban centers. At the center of the district is the 54 story Mori Tower, which features an integrated urban community that allows people to live, work, and shop all within a short commute. The center includes office space, apartments, restaurants, movie theaters, a hotel, a major television studio, and outdoor amphitheater, parks, and even a museum. These attractions are meant to increase people's quality of life by increasing the time that they have for leisure activities.

Core Resources

Roppongi Hills is a visionary project that opened to the public in 2003 (Roppongihills.com, 2011). It can be considered one of the most ambitious social experiments in history. The Mori Tower offers beautiful panoramic views of Tokyo and modern architecture. The Mori Tower is the most prominent resource in the community. This resource allows people to work in some of the largest international companies such as Barclays Capital, Ferrari Japan, Chevron, BASF, BP, Google, and the Pokeman Company. Inside the tower are large television screens, shops, and restaurants, but a majority of the tower is dedicated to office space for these companies (Roppongihills.com, 2011).

The Mori Tower is the focal point of the community. However, located around the tower are several smaller buildings that are occupied by shops, restaurants, a movie theater, and a garden. Roppongi Keyakkizaka Street is located directly behind the tower and offers luxury stores, cafes, and other amenities. Nearby are four Roppongi Hills residential apartment towers that include a host of luxury housing options. Large open spaces were included in the design to appeal to the artistic side of human nature.

As one can see, Roppongi Hills offers local residents many amenities that make this area an attractive place to live and work. The luxury community appeals to upper scale Japanese residents. The list of shops and things to do seems almost endless. The list of shops and activities has something that appeals for every one. There are many opportunities for those with varied taste and businesses who wish to offer a unique brand to the area.

Many of the same amenities also serve as an attraction to bring people into the area as tourists. Many of the same attractions that appeal to community residents also appeal to those who wish to make the Roppongi Hills a destination for weekend, day, or longer visits. To keep the interest up among both local residents and tourists the community offers a host of monthly and yearly events. For instance, from New Year's Day until January 16, many of the shops have an annual sale where prices are cut up to 80% (Roppongihills.com, 2011). This sale draws people not only from the local community, but also day trippers who want to take advantage of the deals. The Mori Art Museum has a host of rotating exhibits that are constantly changing to keep people coming back. Many of the shops in the Roppongi Hills area are open late for the convenience of their customers (Roppongihills.com, 2011). This customer centered attitude has helped the area to maximize its resources for the benefit of everyone.

Key Stakeholders

The Roppongi Hills is a 27 acre private development designed by lead architect, Mori Biru for the Mori Building Development Company, Ltd. (KPF, n.d.). Of course, the developer and the architect are primary stakeholders and have the most to lose. Other primary stakeholders include those with direct financial interests in the building. Primary stakeholders are those whose initial capital investment and continuing investments are at risk if the project should fail. Private owners continue to receive revenues from the rent of building space, as well as other fees and charges that may be associated with this activity. Proper management of the facility and visitor attractions has a direct impact on their return on investment and profits from the activities.

Secondary stakeholders are those who use these facilities as part of their global business network. Major corporations who have their offices housed there have risks involved in the operations of the community. Opportunity management will assure that they not only have office space, but that their company is an attractive prospect for job seekers. They can offer the community as a benefit of working for them. The residents of the community are also secondary stakeholders and the success of the community has a direct impact on their quality of life. Secondary stakeholders have some financial risk involved in management of the community, as they have invested in their businesses and in their housing arrangements.

The city of Tokyo is a tertiary stakeholder, as it receives benefits from taxes, increased commerce, and an influx of residents, businesses, and tourists into the area. The city of Tokyo has an interest in the success of the project, but it does not have direct capital at risk, except for any financing that it provided. Visitors are also included in this group of tertiary stakeholders. They can enjoy the area as a destination to improve the quality of their life. Proper management of the area and its attractions gives visitors a place that they can enjoy and relax. Japan is also a stakeholder, as the Rappongi Hills attracts business to the nation.

Key Management Issues

Several management issues have arisen in the area. One of the first issues that arose involved the revolving doors in the Mori Tower. Sensors were placed too high resulting in 32 injuries, including one fatality when a small boy's head was crushed in the doors (Absolute Astronomy, 2011). These incidents not only created legal liability, they also harmed the reputation of the area. These issues have since been fixed.

Revolving door safety is not the only issue that has plagued the community. The arena facility uses large outdoor speakers that are located in close proximity to older housing units. Older residents have complained about noise pollution, but have been ignored by building management (Absolute Astronomy, 2011). The development has also been criticized for the maze of walkways that are confusing and that offer no protection from seasonal showers or sudden wind gusts resulting from the buildings themselves (Absolute Astronomy, 2011). The project is a mixed use development, which makes management more complex as the residents'needs are varied.

Recommendations

These management issues present challenges that could affect the reputation and future ability of the Roppongi Hills to remain one of the most desirable destinations in Tokyo. The issues with noise from the arena affecting residents could cause populations in the area to decline. Empty apartments are not profitable and make the area look less attractive, which could have an impact on revenues of in the entire area. The perception that management is ignoring the problem is not good public relations policy. A grievance system needs to be put in place so that residents feel they have input into the system. Resolving these issues is the best way to handle these and other similar issues.

The Roppongi Hills contain small areas of gardens that provide a change of scenery for residents and visitors. The most recent project is to increase the amount of green space in the city within the city. Current projects include the installation of rooftop gardens (Green Roofs, 2011). It is further recommended that green projects such as these continue, as they will increase the ability to enjoy the area. The area's reputation as an art district would also be further enhanced by providing space where activities could take place, increasing both the enjoyment of residents and visitor traffic. The Roppongi Hills area is a city within a city and represents what city planners say is the future and architectural and the city design.