Adachi-ku Transportation Survey Project Requirement Specification

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1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose of the Document

This document lays out the project requirements for the Adachi-ku Transportation Survey Project, providing a comprehensive guide for planning and implementing the survey.

1.2 Scope of the Document

This document covers all aspects of the project, including project background, objectives, deliverables, stakeholder information, project requirements, timeline, assumptions, and constraints.

1.3 Spirit on the Project Code

Project Arun, drawing its inspiration from the Sanskrit term meaning 'new beginnings,' aligns with the spirit of 'Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.' Focused on urban traffic planning in Adachi's Miyagi Neighborhood, it symbolizes a fresh start toward efficient mobility and a sustainable future.

Arun := Adachi run toward the future of mobility society with “A Comprehensive Study on Urban Traffic Planning in Miyagi Neighborhood in Adachi Ward”.

2. Project Overview

2.1 Project Background

The project aims to conduct a transportation survey within the Miyagi neighborhood in the Konan area of the Adachi ward of Greater Tokyo. The primary goal of this survey is to:

1. Gain insights into crucial social issues within the area and

2. Visualize potential future scenarios involving autonomous vehicles.

In the winter of years past during the COVID, in the Miyagi neighborhood, a tragic incident unfolded that marked the genesis of this project. A cat, one of many residing in the area, yet unfamiliar to most local residents, was struck by a truck and lost its life. Its final moments, poignantly described as a 'dead cat bounce,' were witnessed by one of our project's initiators.

This incident laid bare the stark reality of our existing transportation system's disregard for the smaller lives, often unnoticed, sharing the same space with us. The scene was so emotionally impactful that the witness, although unfamiliar with the cat, could not bring himself to walk the same road until the reminders of the incident were no longer there with the passing of the New Year holidays.

This unfortunate incident sparked deep contemplation about the co-existence of humans and animals in our shared urban spaces. It raised questions about the harmony, respect, and consideration that should be inherent in our shared environment, even for those lives that often go unnoticed. Thus, Project Arun was conceived, driven by a need to ensure that the streets of the Miyagi neighborhood are safe for all its inhabitants, including the many animals that often go overlooked.

The project aims to thoroughly assess the current transportation system in Adachi-ku and propose necessary changes to make it more considerate towards all living beings in the target area. Drawing from personal experiences and collective community input, we hope to create a roadmap towards a more compassionate and inclusive transportation network. The memory of the cat, whose life abruptly ended on that cold December day, serves as our motivation to strive for a safer, more considerate transportation system that protects and respects all lives.

2.2 Project Objectives

The project objectives comprise as follows:

• Identify key social issues within the Miyagi neighborhood related to transportation.

• Gather data on transportation patterns and preferences within the neighborhood.

• Visualize potential future scenarios involving the integration of autonomous vehicles into the existing transportation system.

2.3 Project Deliverables

The project deliverables comprise as follows:

• A comprehensive report on the current state of transportation in the Miyagi neighborhood.

• Detailed analysis of the survey results.

• Recommendations for addressing identified social issues and improving the transportation system.

• Future scenarios involving autonomous vehicles, claimed by the survey data.

3. Project Members

• Wathsala Gunawardena, Consultant, Researcher at Saitama University

• Member_A, Researcher, Vacant

• Member_B, Field Surveyor, Vacant

• Member_C, Data Analyst, Vacant

• Member_D, Survey Coordinator, Local student at X high school and/or Y junior high school in the target area

• Franchesco Moretti, Project Coordinator, International student at London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK Global Master’s in Management

• Taketo Imai, Project Owner, Resident in the target area

4. Project Requirements

4.1 Data Collection Requirements

• Obtain a representative sample of responses from the community.

• Ensure data privacy and adherence to ethical guidelines during data collection.

4.2 Financial Requirements

• Provide a detailed cost estimate by Monday, 5th of May 2023.

• Submit an application for a 5 MJPY subsidy from the Adachi community development public trust, with a maximum of 2 MJPY per project.

5. Project Timeline

• Project initiation on Jun 1, 2023 --> DONE

• Prepare for the application document for Adachi subsidy in CW22 - CW23, 2023 --> DONE

• Submit the above application on Jun 8, 2023 --> DONE

• Providing a comprehensive breakdown of tasks and ensuring budget allocation on each task by the end of July --> On hold

• Participating in the review committee on July 24, 2023 --> DONE

• Implementation will start in September 2023 for 12 months of the 1st phase.

6. Assumptions and Constraints

• The project is expected to benefit from the consultancy services of Wathsala Gunawardena, who has expertise in Remote Sensing and GIS. She will be involved as a consultant in this project. A portion of the consultancy fee is expected to be covered by the Adachi Subsidy.

• Franchesco Moretti might be able to work up to 40 hours a week with a designated activity visa during his internship starting in October 2023

• The subsidy application must arrive by mail at Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation Retail Fiduciary Services Department which is in charge of the financial investigation on behalf of the Adachi ward office. Deadline on Jun 9, 2023

7. Approval

Examination of the Adachi-ku subsidy application will take place in July 2023.

7.1. Examination result

On August 14th, the review committee decided to hold off on the grant this time, meaning unapproved.

Feedback from the committee is as follows:

The importance was understood, but it was difficult to see specific things such as vision and action plans, and it was unclear what would be returned to the urban development after the execution of this project.

Notification of Examination Results

That said, we have taken a significant step forward and we are now standing at the beginning of the future we envision, moving at our pace. Let's start from here to understand social issues in a super-aged society. 

Survey requirement specification

The survey focuses on understanding the current transportation conditions and safety, gauging public perception and concerns, and exploring the potential benefits and adaptability of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) specifically for the super-aged community in the target area. Here's a structure for moving forward:

1. Existing transportation networks study and data collection

• Research existing transportation networks: Review literature and conduct field observations to understand the current state of transportation including challenges such as narrow space in the Miyagi neighborhood.

• Collect and analyze traffic accident data: Access public databases or local government records to gather historical data on traffic accidents in the area.

• Collect and analyze vehicle driving speed data: Use available ETC2.0 data or other methods (e.g., field measurements) to assess typical driving speeds.

2. Video Survey for Visual Comfort Analysis on the Road (Mental Condition)

• Conduct video surveys to collect data on the road environment and assess visual comfort levels.

• Capture video footage of representative road segments in the Adachi-Ku area.
  Analyze the video footage to evaluate the visual comfort of the road environment, considering factors such as road design, signage, lighting, and landscape.

• Assess the impact of visual comfort on mental well-being and driver behavior.

3. Existing traffic safety study and data collection

• Conduct field observations of traffic safety: Make observations about road conditions, traffic patterns, and other factors affecting traffic safety.

• Survey public sentiment on traffic safety: Conduct surveys or interviews with local residents to understand their perceptions and concerns about traffic safety.

4. Study Requirements from the Autonomous Vehicles

• Research Autonomous Vehicles requirements: Review literature, regulations, and industry standards to understand what's needed for the integration of Autonomous Vehicles.

• Assess the affordability for local people: This could involve market research to understand the potential cost of AVs and whether this is within reach for local residents.

• Determine the advantages of AV for the super-aged community: This might involve surveying or interviewing members of the super-aged community to understand their specific needs and how AVs could address these.

5. Identify the possibility to adapt AV

• Assess physical feasibility: Look at the physical characteristics of the area (roads, parking, etc.) to see if it can support AVs.

• Assess social feasibility: Use the results of our surveys or interviews to understand whether there's community support for AVs.

• Develop potential scenarios for AV integration: Based on all of the above, create scenarios for how AVs could be integrated into the existing transportation system.

Open points discussion

Here is the list of sessions among the team:

Question 1: Could you tell us more about your research on visual diversity in Japanese residential streetscapes and how you conducted it? Especially for a combination of field surveys and entropy measurements to collect and analyze data from various streetscapes.
Answer: Visual diversity was assessed through the utilization of various indices, including the Shannon Entropy, Simpson Index, Gini Coefficient, and others. The process involved analyzing photographs of streetscapes to identify the elements that contribute to visual diversity. These identified elements were then utilized to calculate entropy values, with higher values indicating greater diversity.

Question 2: Given your expertise in Remote Sensing and GIS, what potential opportunities do you see in our project to apply these technologies?
Answer: In order to identify current issues within the road network, it is crucial to have a comprehensive map of the transportation network. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) can be employed to fulfill this requirement. GIS provides a powerful platform to store, analyze, and visualize spatial data related to the transportation network. By utilizing GIS, various analysis techniques can be applied to assess the road network. Some such techniques involve conducting a trip attraction analysis, OD matrix analysis, and overlaying techniques.

Question 3: We're specifically interested in understanding social issues related to transportation and visualizing potential future scenarios with autonomous vehicles. How might your methodology help us with these objectives?
Answer: GIS can be utilized to model and simulate potential future scenarios with autonomous vehicles. By incorporating autonomous vehicle data, such as vehicle trajectories, traffic patterns, or vehicle demand projections, into the GIS environment, we can simulate how the introduction of autonomous vehicles might impact the transportation network and various social aspects. This can include analyzing changes in traffic flow, travel behavior, accessibility, and even the potential for reduced car ownership or improved mobility options for marginalized communities.

Question 4: What challenges might we encounter if we apply your methodology to our project, and how might we address them?
Answer: A main challenge is the availability and quality of transportation data, including road network data, traffic flow data, or data specific to autonomous vehicles. Insufficient or inconsistent data can impact the accuracy and reliability of your analysis. To address this challenge, consider collaborating with relevant authorities, transportation agencies, or research institutions to access reliable and comprehensive data. Data cleaning and validation processes can also help ensure data quality.

Question 5: Can you provide guidance on how to properly apply entropy as a measure of diversity in the context of our project?
Answer: Yes sure

Question 6: How might we best ensure that our data collection methods comply with ethical guidelines and respect data privacy, based on your experience?
Answer: It’s better to obtain informed consent from participants before collecting their data.
It’s better to take steps to anonymize or de-identify data to protect the privacy of individuals.
Further, it’s better to implement robust data security measures to protect collected data from unauthorized access, loss, or theft.

Question 7: What are some best practices for conducting field surveys that you could share with us, based on your experience?
Answer: Plan the field survey thoroughly before starting. Clearly define the objectives, research questions, and survey methodology. Identify the target population or sampling strategy. Prepare necessary survey instruments, equipment, and logistics. Conduct a pilot survey to refine the approach.

Question 8: In your view, what additional methods or approaches might we need to consider in order to address our project objectives fully?
Answer: We can think about participatory Mapping and Citizen Science. We can engage the community and stakeholders through participatory mapping exercises. We can encourage local residents, commuters, and other relevant groups to actively contribute their knowledge and insights about the transportation network and social issues. This participatory approach empowers the community and can provide unique perspectives and local context that may not be captured through traditional data collection methods alone.

Question 9: What are some potential pitfalls or challenges that we should be aware of when conducting a transportation survey like ours?
Answer: Obtaining a representative sample can be challenging, as certain groups or populations may be underrepresented or difficult to reach. Further, non-response bias occurs when a significant portion of the selected sample does not participate in the survey, leading to potential biases in the collected data. In addition, errors in data collection can occur due to various factors, including interviewer bias, misinterpretation of questions, or technical issues

Question 10: What kind of social issues do we address?
Answer: The bus depot is located in the school area which is dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians.

Question 11: How do you visualize potential future scenarios involving AV?
Answer: Pictures using some models. Using Virtual Reality and Simulations needs more budget than 5M JPY.