“Closer, But Slowly.” TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY's Next-Generation Mobility and its Vision

On March 11 and 12, East Japan Railway Company (JR-EAST) conducted a two-day experiment at Waters Takeshiba to improve city circulation through automated mobility and experiences.
In this issue, we will report on the details of the experiment "TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY," which set our purpose on "an Experimental Playground to lead a fulfilled life for the next 100 years” Additionally, Ms. Eriko Shimakawa of JR-EAST will explain the concept behind JR-EAST’s "Next Generation Mobility.”

Eriko Shimakawa
Shinagawa Community Development Division, Marketing Headquarters, JR-EAST 
She is in charge of branding promotion, hotels, co-creation business, mobility, etc.

Demonstrating a “5km/h Experiment”

his demonstration experiment was conducted with the cooperation of Gekidan iino G.K., a provider of low-speed small mobility vehicles, in preparation for the provision of mobility services in TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, which is being developed in the vicinity of Takanawa Gateway Station.
In this proof of concept experiment, the general public was invited to test ride the "iino type-S712," an automated mobility vehicle that travels at a speed of 5 km/h. This travels approximately 300 meters between the commercial area with restaurants and stores, and the cultural area with entertainment facilities via several mobility spots set up in the WATERS takeshiba  Plaza (grass plaza).
 
During the ride, passengers will listen to information about atre  TAKESHIBA stores and the attractions of the waterfront space through shoulder-mounted speakers, learning more about the attractions of the spots and fostering a sense of anticipation for the spots they will be visiting next.
 
Visitors can also enter the community space "SHAKOBA," one of the transit points, while riding in the automated mobility vehicle. After enjoying their food, drink, and music, the experience ends with a return to the starting point.

Coexistence of Automated Mobility and Pedestrians,
and an Experience that Encourages Consumer Behavior

TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, which covers an area of approximately 9.5 hectares, was used to be The Raid Yard, and the main transportation system will be a network of pedestrian decks  stretching 1.1 km from north to south.
 
The new city will have many spots for visitors to enjoy and make new discoveries, such as the Culture Creation Building  with exhibition facilities and halls. It was necessary for us to introduce a new type of mobility into the city that would improve the flow of people, as a means of transportation for those who get off at the Takanawa Gateway Station to stop by such places.
 
Waterfront areas near the port, such as Takeshiba, tend to have distance between each spot in a large area, making it difficult to walk around the area. We considered WATERS takeshiba as a "virtual TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY," focusing on ”the coexistence of automated mobility and pedestrians”, and “the effectiveness of the mobility experience in promoting consumer behavior change”.

We examined whether the vehicle would avoid pedestrians and obstacles without colliding with them, and would not disrupt the traffic flow. In addition to fixed installations in the city, luggage left unattended and sudden movements of people are also possible, especially in the case of plazas. However, if the sensor sensitivity of mobility is tightened, the ride experience will be spoiled by sudden obstructions. Although there were no collisions in this demonstration experiment, it is necessary to continue to study and improve this issue further.

Furthermore, we conducted a survey to understand whether the vehicle ride was an enjoyable travel experience. By conveying information on atre T AKESHIBA stores, recommended products, and the appeal of the waterfront space through the experience of traveling between the commercial and cultural areas, how many of the passengers actually decided to visit the stores and the waterfront? How many of them changed their consumer behavior by purchasing the recommended products, etc.?
We are trying to find a way to provide information and context of a place that cannot be understood just by walking or passing by, and to provide something that leads to the pedestrian's curiosity and subsequent change in consumer behavior, without being intrusive. As a result, a post-experiment questionnaire showed that there was an increase in the willingness to visit the places introduced, and approximately 90% of the respondents answered that the experience "led to the discovery of new attractions of the facilities," indicating that the introduction of mobility had a certain effect on the promotion of circulation and city attractions.

Closer, but Slowly

Gekidaniino G.K., which cooperated with our survey, is developing low-speed automated mobility vehicles that travel at a speed of 5 km/h, which is equivalent to the walking speed of a brisk walker. It allows people to get on and off the vehicle freely.
The company’s development of mobility that coexists with pedestrians, will bring not only the transportation convenience, but also for a travel experience that creates liveliness through side trips and new ways of seeing the city. It is also in line with TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY's vision for next-generation mobility in the future.

To date, mobility has developed based on the proposition of how far, fast, accurate, and efficient it can be to reach its destination. We at JR-EAST are proud to have developed a means of transportation that solves the problem of not having access to places easily, by accumulating technology and know-how through our extensive railroad network.

We also believe we can use our assets to present a new approach to urban mobility to solve the Last-Mile Problem for visitors, one that is "Closer, but Slowly”. By doing so, we can solve mobility issues in towns and regions, which in turn will provide hints for issues faced throughout Japan and the world. This is the concept at the heart of TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY's "next-generation mobility”.

For several years now, we have been conducting a series of demonstration experiments based on this concept of next-generation mobility. One example is the "Green Slow Mobility" demonstration experiment conducted in the Takanawa/Shirokane area. The vehicles travel at speeds of 20 km/h or less. The Takanawa-Shirokane area has few means of east-west transportation and supermarkets, and has the highest percentage of elderly residents among the five districts of Minato Ward. It is also a difficult area to navigate, with many narrow streets and slopes that are inaccessible by public transportation such as buses. In response to these issues, “a Green Slow Mobility” demonstration experiment was conducted to examine alternative transportation methods to trains and buses that would connect the new town's neighborhoods and transportation hubs, while taking advantage of local resources such as historical landmarks. This would allow people to get around more easily and at a slower pace. The "5 km/h mobility experiment” is part of such efforts, and is a demonstration experiment to address further issues in the "city" at a micro level.

From "Mobility" to "People-Oriented Mobility”

While some have pointed out that urban development in Tokyo, where stations have long shaped the character of the city, has become increasingly homogenized, resulting in the loss of individuality of each city. In TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, we think the key difference is in the "time axis". The area around Shinagawa Station, which is adjacent to Takanawa Gateway Station, is the center of business in Tokyo and where time moves very quickly. We believe that the Takanawa area, which is located next to Shinagawa but is dotted with historical landmarks, is a unique place in this sense.

While further enhancing the value of the existing railroad system in terms of long-distance express delivery, we would like to connect dots that have not been connected before. With this experiment, users will be discovering the joy of travel itself, and the values of the city will be exuded outward from the station and become its own individuality. To this end, the mobility experience that coexists with pedestrians and realizes a “Closer, but Slowly" is a shift from the conventional "mobility" to "people-oriented mobility. This is a completely new challenge for JR-EAST, but it will become an extremely important mobility value axis for the city and society. As an "Experimental Playground" we ourselves will continue to take on this new value.

Interview and Edit by Takuya Wada
Photograph by Yutaro Yamaguchi
Translation by Yuka Suzuki
Content Direction by blkswn publishers Inc.