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Introduction of the Ryokuen-Toshi |
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| .. | The Ryokuen-Toshi residential area is located 40 km. southwest of Tokyo, an hour’s ride by train (19 min. from Yokohama). It was a development of 122 ha. with a planned population of 18,000 for 4,700 households and now it spreads over the southwestern hills of Yokohama City． Ryokuen-Toshi was developed to be the “core city” of Sagami Railway Izumino Line. The main road, “Nakada-Sachigaoka Line”, runs from north to south in the Ryouen-Toshi residential area. This trunk line and subordinate roads which surround the residential area link up in a functional way with Ryokuen-Toshi Station in the center. Within the residential area, culs-de sac and loop turns are situated so that cars are physically prevented from trespassing the residential area, serving to safely protect the pedestrians． A one kilometer-long walkway, which is paved with painted tiles here and there and fringed with plants arranged to bloom in turn according to four seasons, runs through the residential area, and is enjoyed as a passage just for pedestrians.There are eight parks within the Ryokuen-Toshi residential area which are located in a well-balanced manner over the area. Children’s Natural Park (Ooike Park) adjacently lies northeast of the Ryokuen-Toshi residential area. The basic theme for town building of Ryokuen-Toshi is “creating an affluent town in search for the humanity”, and our practical goal is to create a new town in Yokohama with the typical “air of Yokohama” that is renowned for its cleanliness and refined sense. In order to achieve this goal we have likened our town as a whole to a high-class resort hotel for members only. In this concept, we regard the station as the entrance, lobby and front of the hotel, pedestrian’s walkway as guests’ passage, clubhouse and public halls as hotel lounges, cultural and sports facilities as resort recreational facilities, and shops and restaurants as the hotel arcade. Furthermore Ryokuen-Toshi Community Association (RCA) was established as a club organization of the residents in Ryokuen-Toshi. Adopting a crossing with an overpass and culs-de sac in town designing and introducing a residents’ association, RCA, in town management were modeled after Radburn Association in the United States which is the first homeowners’ association in history. RCA is Japan’s first homeowners’ association and signed jointly the Declaration of Friendship with Radburn Association and now we are sister towns. At the center of the residential area is located Ryokuen-Toshi Station with 35,000 passengers ( as of October, 2000) getting on and off trains daily. Major part of the passengers include Ryokuen-Toshi residents commuting to Tokyo and Yokohama, Ferris University students and high school students who go to nearby schools. Educational facilities in the residential area are two elementary schools, a junior high school to be constructed, and Ferris University. Public facilities include a fire station, police box, short-stay facility for senior citizens, and a facility for mentally-handicapped people. Three financial institutions have their branches in the Ryokuen-Toshi residential area. As for commercial facilities, there are one supermarket and five convenience stores. Other shops and stores include variety shops, boutiques, an optician’s shop, bookstores, florists, hairdressers, western and Japanese confectioneries, bakeries, a gas station and drugstores. Specialties of medical clinics within the residential area range from internal medicine, surgery, orthopedic surgery, ophthalmology, dentistry, acupuncture, moxa cautery, bonesetting and midwifery. There are Japanese, western and Chinese restaurants in the area. Sports facilities include a general sports club, squash courts, baseball grounds, tennis courts and a multipurpose ground. Along Ferris Street connecting Yokohama Ryokuen Christ Church and Ferris University Chapel as a pair of landmarks on the street, there are eight unique buildings which combine commercial spaces and residential spaces. In the Ryokuen-Toshi residential area the cable television system, with which system television antennas are unnecessary, was introduced in consideration of the landscape, and as a means to realize a comfortable and safe environment, the home security system was also introduced. |
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