VIRTUAL Lisbon Livable Cities
Abstract
This research explores the process of placemaking as a transformative practice that redefines post-war Japanese housing from standardized “boxes” into dynamic, meaningful “places.” Focusing on the case of Reizensou Renovation Museum in Fukuoka City, this study investigates how social interactions, everyday practices, management, and residents´ creativity actively shape the built environment over time. Placemaking is approached not as a one-time event but as an ongoing process. Based on theories of place, place-making, and open building approach, the study highlights the significance of human relationships and shared experiences in repurposing the built environment. Reizensou exemplifies this through its unique management model and the essential role of the Aruji, a caretaker figure who facilitates communication and nurtures a sense of community. Using interviews, field observation, and spatial analysis as the primary data collection tools, this research digs deeper into how tenants personalize their spaces, adapt to physical constraints, and contribute to a collective identity. Reizensou´s tenants demonstrate how place-making transcends physical constraints, turning limitations into creative opportunities. Placemaking at Reizensou results from the adaptability of its base structure and tenant creativity and a culture of trust, shared responsibility, and mutual support. Ultimately, this study argues that successful placemaking relies on more than physical adaptability; it requires emotional investment, cultural sensitivity, and sustained engagement. The findings emphasize the value of interdisciplinary approaches to better understanding and fostering the evolving narratives that turn “boxes” into meaningful “places.”
Luis Fernando Villalpando Gueich: Mexican architect with a master’s degree from Kyushu University, currently pursuing a PhD in Urban Design at the same institution. Recipient of the MEXT scholarship for graduate studies, recommended by the Japanese Embassy in Mexico. Research interests focus on community engagement, the placemaking process, and the use of fieldwork as a primary research method. Committed to fostering multidisciplinary approaches that place the human experience at the center of architectural and urban design projects.
Chikako Toma: Developmental Psyhcologist. Professor, Department of Urban and Architectural Studies, Graduate School of Human-Environment Studies at Kyushu University. Professor Toma proposes “formative fieldwork” as a way to weave developmental research into the process of forming practices together with people in the field, and is conducting collaborative research in various settings. One of her main research projects is a practice-formatting developmental research project that fosters activities centered on the interactions of children of different ages in their daily lives in a nursery school community. She also conducts experiential child-rearing support practice and research in child-rearing support settings, identifying the issues parents and children face and providing support that leads to growth. In social welfare settings (child welfare facilities, etc.), she works to support child-rearing and development, with safety and security as the foundation of all child-rearing. In university education, she values dialogue-based classes that deepen learning by critically questioning, thinking, talking to each other, and digging into the essence of problems.
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Thursday 10th July, 2025