Urban Research Plaza

The Urban Research Plaza was created by Osaka City University in April 2006. The University has consistently put its energy into urban studies, and produced results befitting a metropolitan university.

As its design shows, the Urban Research Plaza features 'mobile' research satellites (local plazas) in the field of urban activities. Such research facilities provide places for joint research and community development with citizens and private/public sectors. To this end, local plazas are located in multi-tenanted buildings, office corners, and town houses so that they can unite individuals and function as strategic spaces for the practical design of projects.

Cities are supposed to be an arena where new knowledge and culture is created through various encounters and discourses. The Urban Research Plaza provides a platform for such a variety of endeavors with its unique structure and approach.

As its design shows, Urban Research Plaza features 'mobile' research satellites (local plazas) in the field of urban activities. Such research facilities provide places for joint research and activities for community development with citizens and private and public sectors. To this end, local plazas are located in multi-tenanted buildings, office corners, and town houses so that they can unite individuals and function as strategic spaces for the practical design of projects.

Osaka currently faces a number of social problems. The philosophy of the Urban Research Plaza is to be a research institution in accord with Osaka City's communities, and to share pain, pleasure and rage with the citizens.

The Urban Research Plaza also has great ambition and a sense of purpose. The Plaza aims at serving as an international center for urban studies. To this end, the Urban Research Plaza is building international networks of urban research and policies through annual international symposiums and workshops, inviting the world's leading researchers and policy-makers working on urban planning. Through such activities, the Urban Research Plaza aims to represent not only Osaka City University, but also the city of Osaka.