What are the challenges that Chinese cities are facing in your eyes, and what has SKUP prepared to help dealing with these challenges?

　　KOICHI KOBAYASHI: I think one of the precious experiences most beneficial to China from USA and Japan is to acquire an attitude of flexibility and ability to adjust to changing society and the world. USA led the world in modern urban development, followed by Japanese some twenty years later, now china has been following up Japan twenty years after as well. USA and Japan made a number of innovations in urban planning and design and also a series of mistakes and misjudgments. Now with the opening of Chinese access to the world, china could get all kind of resources freely from the world in time. Decisions on planning and design should be based on thorough understanding on precedents and not on superficial references. I am hoping Chinese planning and landscape architecture profession will be developing practical application of results from research works to be performed by professionals and academics. Two of my life long research and professional interest have been on study and application of visual component of the natural and built environment and on preservation and creation of green open space so that we could plan and develop the most livable environment. Specific focus in these areas is first to apply theoretical method and process to real life situation and develop process, index, indicators, criteria and others to be integrated into modern regulatory processes and requirements and second to integrate these two fields of visual and green open space into holistic one.

　　There are three major hypotheses in carrying out my research related to green open space and visual environment.

　　The first is that green opens space (both in qualitative and quantitative) plays major role in determining quality of environment (neighborhood, city, region and nation and above) we live in. For example, the city of Seattle has been rated as one of the most livable cities in the United States of America for some time. What role is green open space of Seattle contributing to this? We could attempt to identify elements contributing to green open space, establish measurable parameters and identify/develop planning frame work and process so that they could be incorporated into existing and future regulatory process and requirements.

　　The second hypothesis is that the visual environment occupies an important aspect of our living environment and that they also could be integrated into regulatory process and requirements so that we could shape and control our visual environment. One of the approaches that could be taken is to establish method to identify linkages between qualitative and quantity elements. Some of the measurable elements including building floor ratio, land coverage, land use density, land permeability could be tested in this. Establishing linkage between human satisfaction of the environment and quantitative and qualitative aspect of the visual and green open space will be explored. Method for analyzing environment covers environmental analysis, site analysis and visual analysis.

　　The third hypothesis is that there exists a close relationship between green open space and visual component of the environment and that they could be integrated together into planning/design process and regulatory processes and requirements. Areas of environment could encompass from a small neighborhood unit to city, state/prefecture, regional, nationwide and global. Sustainability, preservation, restoration and improvement of the natural as well as built environment will be explored and dealt with.

　　Qualitative aspect of the visual and green open space will be explored. Method for analyzing environment covers environmental analysis, site analysis and visual analysis.

　　Sphere of this research will encompass landscape design, urban design, community design and regional design.

　　SKUP International (SKUP Planning and Design Consultancy Co.)

　　SKUP Planning and Design Consultancy Co., Ltd. was originated from the former Kobayashi & Associates Inc. which was based in USA and was founded by the famous Japanese American landscape architect Koichi Kobayashi in 1989. Since its establishment more than 20 years ago, SKUP has currently developed into an international company providing integrated services including environmental and urban planning, architectural design and landscape design. By setting up its office in Shanghai, SKUP will be able to provide better service to the Asia Pacific countries. Meanwhile, SKUP keeps on exchanging the most advanced environmental planning concept and experience with the American and Japanese cooperative institutions. We maintain a number of reputable overseas firms with special expertise as our resource companies. SKUP was now a member company of the SED landscape architects group.

　　SKUP focuses on the incorporation of regional culture and ecological sustainability in its design, and has proposed unique ideas on urban planning and ecological preservation. Up till now, SKUP and its staff have completed projects in USA, Japan, Dubai, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China and Hong Kong.

　　The professional design team of SKUP is consisted of environmental and urban planners, architects and researchers from USA, Japan and other countries who are provided with different specialties and have extensive experience in various projects worldwide. SKUP has maintained close cooperation relationship with Chinese and foreign reputable academic institutions. Up till now, SKUP has established permanent strategic partnership with some renowned local enterprise after it launches its business in China and has started to provide integrated services for the rapidly-developing China in areas including landscape design, urban planning, architectural design, tourism and ecological strategy.