Urban Water in Japan

Water control is essential to Japan, as more than half of its invested capital is concentrated in elevations under sea level and the majority of the island nation is exceptionally vulnerable to flooding. To avoid potential crisis, the Japanese have developed exceptionally innovative water management practices. Offering the unique perspective of Dutch engineers, considered the world’s most progressive urban water experts, this volume provide a detailed look at how Japan has developed its modern water system. It looks at the system of Tokyo city, discusses river management practices and urban flood control throughout the country, and considers the impact that these innovations have had on delta regions.

Rutger de Graaf studied Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology. After his cum laude M.Sc. graduation on the transitions to more sustainable urban water management and water supply (2005), he worked on water management in the Jobaru river basin at Saga University, Japan. His dissertation work is part of the program ‘Living with Water' and focuses on developing new concepts for urban water systems to reduce the vulnerability of urban areas to floods and droughts. Moreover, it deals with the societal change and transition processes involved. Rutger is founding partner of Deltasync, a research and design group that was awarded first prizes for the design of the floating city 'IJmeer' in the international Royal Haskoning Deltacompetition (2006) and in the Dutch Climate Contest (2007).

Fransje Hooimeijer studied Art & Culture Science at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and specialized in the history and theory of architecture, urban design and landscape architecture. After seven years of independent practice she is currently working on ‘The New Dutch Water City’, at the faculty of Architecture of Delft University of Technology department Urbanism. She investigates past, present and future relationships between urban design and water management in polder cities.