In 2012, the City of Osaka launched an extensive project called the Nishinari Special District Vision, which aimed to revitalize Airin district. This project, combined with the bottom-up measures, allowed community improvement measures to be implemented at an unprecedented rate. A sum of 6.7 billion yen was invested over a span of five years.
The Nishinari Special District Vision intended to take measures for revitalizing the area, protecting the living of the people who have been living there. For immediate change of perception, it came up with a slogan “a town where children's voices can be heard”.
The vision plan was organized into three phases:
Intensive phase: the decision was made to carry out measures aimed at improving the community environment, such as tuberculosis prevention and setting up security cameras.
Mid- to long-term measures: it involved the provision of quality housing for households with children, putting in place a hub for international tourism, among other measures.
Future Investment Project and Major Undertakings phase: to define the redevelopment of the station front area and the effective utilization of unused public land.
- Strategic choices in the district vision by the municipal government for management of public spaces, the location of urban amenities, and social infrastructure
- A clear future vision shared with a wide range of stakeholders
Impact of Nishinari Special District Vision and bottom-up measures led to a significant change in Airin district’s public perception. In the past, there had been a strong perception that Airin was a dangerous, dirty, and untouchable town. In recent years, however, there has been a rise in the number of tourists (from overseas as well other parts of Japan) who want to see the real Osaka in a friendly atmosphere of a traditional commercial and working-class neighborhood.