• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.10-25
• /
• 2011

Since 1950, the city of Yokohama has been demanding the return of US. military base sites in Yokohama. Yokohama has established a systematic utilization plan for these relocation sites. The Fukaya communication site is one of former US. military bases verified for return in 2004. The Fukaya communication site is distinctively circular in shape and is entirely national land. Yokohama took an idea competition to its citizens to create a new park at the relocation of the Fukaya communication site, involving lots of citizen opinion in its utilization goals. This study determined the process of the idea competition at the Fukaya communication site in encouraging civic participation and analyzing citizen demands for the utilization of the relocation site. Through the idea competition, Yokohama city was able to obtain several ideas on the new park from various angles such as the function and shape of the urban open spaces. Citizens showed great interest in creating a park as green infrastructure on the Fukaya communication site. In addition, beyond utilization as an urban open space, many ideas suggested new lifestyles for the region in connection with the natural environment in the vicinity. Yokohama city tried to share the process and results of the idea competition with as many citizens as it could through a variety of means such as Participation, Judging, Support, Observation and Understanding. The case study on the idea competition at the Fukaya communication site is a good example of community design practice in public projects, and is full of suggestions for military bases in Korea, which has just established the plan of utilizing relocation sites as parks. Based on this case study, it can be concluded that it is important to make a systemic form for utilization planning with a clear process, open information and partnership in a variety of participatory design processes in order to ensure maximum civic utilization of relocation sites.