6. The Use of Indicators to Assess Urban Regeneration Performance for Climate-Friendly Urban Development: The Case of Yokohama Minato Mirai 21

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges in the twenty-first century. Immediate actions are required to slow down climate change and address its impacts on human life and settlements. Cities can play crucial roles in this respect, as they not just contribute to causes of climate change but also are under severe threat from its impacts. Urban regeneration projects can provide opportunities to make cities more climate-friendly and less vulnerable. However, the potential role of urban regeneration in tackling climate change is not sufficiently recognized. In many cities, integration between urban regeneration projects and climate policy is still weak. Besides, limited methods exist to evaluate the performance of urban regeneration projects for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Considering these challenges, this chapter is intended to elaborate on use of indicators to assess the progress achieved in urban regeneration projects toward climate-friendly urban development. The chapter presents the findings of a research on the case of Minato Mirai 21 Project in Yokohama, which is a prominent waterfront redevelopment over brownfield sites. The project has converted former shipyards and railroad yards into mixed-use and high-density urban quarter with a working and resident population of 70,000 people at present. A set of 34 indicators grouped under six performance categories is developed and applied to MM21 project. Research findings not only indicate the extent of achievements in MM21 project toward climate-friendly urban development but also highlight the strengths and weaknesses in using indicators for assessing urban regeneration performance.