The theme "Better City, Better Life" of the World Expo Shanghai 2010 has inspired people to ponder urban civilization. Reporters from People's Daily interviewed urban designers and architects in various countries on the development of contemporary urban concepts from various angles.
Architecture：Super high-rise complex buildings
Minoru Mori: The so-called vertical garden city is a city model I have conceived. It refers to super high-rise, complex buildings that vertically combine urban functions such as offices, residences, entertainment, commerce, studies, leisure, culture and communications.
According to estimations by Japan's Central Disaster Management Council in 2007, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake is likely to take place in Tokyo over the next 30 years, during which, 11,000 people may die and 6.5 million people may be homeless.
In regards to the earthquake-resistant designs in new urban development, Mori said that dealing with earthquake hazards of real estate projects in Tokyo is an inescapable, tough issue. Architects place a high importance on the earthquake-resistant functions of buildings as well as the disaster prevention and mitigation function of communities, he said.
During the construction of the Roppongi Hills, we have enhanced the earthquake-resistant, disaster prevention and mitigation functions of the entire community. Earthquake-resistant structures were applied to office and residential buildings.
There is a large power station below the office building that is able to meet the electricity, air conditioning and heating demand of the community. Even if there is no external energy supply after a disaster, the urban function of Roppongi Hills will not cease.
There is also a warehouse and a standby well within the community that can meet living needs of 100,000 people.
"In the past, Japan used to turn parks and primary and middle schools into post-earthquake shelters, which seems unsatisfactory today. I hope to make residential and office buildings the safest places by improving urban construction. In the event of an earthquake, those who live in high-quality buildings would not need to flee to other places but rather accommodate victims from other places," he said.
