[Nara City Hall] Nara City Designates First "Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporation"

In accordance with the Act on Special Measures Concerning Urban Renaissance, Nara City has been operating a designation system for "Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporations" since August 18, 2025, to support core organizations responsible for local community development.

We have now designated the "Kansai Science City Center Co., Ltd." as the first such corporation in our city. The company is a business operator with a long history of community development activities rooted in the area around Takanohara Station. By officially positioning them as an "Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporation," we aim to promote sustainable, community-led urban development, starting with the ongoing "Takanohara Station Square Renewal Project," and enhance the value of the area.

1. Overview of the Designated Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporation
Corporation Name: Kansai Science City Center Co., Ltd. (Location: 1-2 Ukyo, Nara City)
Date of Designation: March 30, 2026

2. Background and Purpose of Designation
In redeveloping the Takanohara Station Square, our city formed a project team involving local residents and business operators from the planning stage to reflect their opinions, engaging in repeated discussions regarding the future vision of Takanohara 20 years from now and the details of the development.

During these discussions, the vision for the town 20 years hence was defined as "A town like Takanohara that people who grew up here want to return to." It was recognized that to achieve this, it is essential for the community to take the lead in flexibly utilizing the station square and public spaces within the area after development, thereby generating diverse activities and interactions.

To continuously advance such initiatives throughout Nara City and lead to the improvement of regional appeal and area value, a mechanism to support community and private-sector-led urban development activities is necessary. Therefore, as a system to promote area management, our city has established a designation system for Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporations based on the Act on Special Measures Concerning Urban Renaissance.

Following an application from Kansai Science City Center Co., Ltd. and a subsequent review, the company was designated as an Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporation due to its proven track record of community-rooted urban development activities in the area around Takanohara Station.

Kansai Science City Center Co., Ltd.
Established: December 26, 1974
Representative: Naoki Omori, President and Representative Director
Location: 1-2 Ukyo, Nara City
Shareholder: New Urban Life Holdings Co., Ltd. (Wholly-owned parent company)
Capital: 1.2 billion yen
Number of Employees: 42
Business Description: Operation and management of a wide range of daily convenience facilities, including commercial facilities.

Track Record of the Company's Urban Development Activities Leading to Designation:
- Operation of a regional information hub (opened in 2018): Providing welfare, community, health, and tourism information for three cities/towns (Nara City, Kizugawa City, and Seika Town); hosting consultation counters for local issues through "Attakai-Net Takanohara" (a network of specialized institutions in the three municipalities).
- Management of public planting strips (flower beds): Activities conducted year-round with volunteer and corporate members.
- Regional cleaning: Picking up trash and clearing fallen leaves around Takanohara Station Square.
- Implementation of lively events: Organizing various annual events centered on public spaces through an executive committee system involving local neighborhood associations and sponsoring companies; creating opportunities for residents and businesses to gather at Takanohara Station Square and connect across administrative boundaries.
- Crime prevention activities: Participating as a corporate member in the Kintetsu Takanohara Station Police Box Liaison Council and conducting awareness activities to prevent crime in the Takanohara area.
- 50th Anniversary Project for the Opening of Heijo/Soraku New Town: Serving as the secretariat for the executive committee formed with local neighborhood associations, holding various commemorative events centered around November 2022, the 50th anniversary of the town's opening; contributing to building momentum for the further development of the Takanohara area with diverse stakeholders.

This designation is intended to further advance the activities mentioned above, in which the company has built a track record, as initiatives that will lead to the improvement of area value with an eye toward the further development of Takanohara. With this designation, the company will be able to utilize the station square more flexibly and promote community-led urban development.

3. About Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporations
- An Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporation is designated by a municipality as an organization that plays a core role in urban development in areas where priority should be given to the development of public and public-interest facilities necessary for urban renewal, based on the Act on Special Measures Concerning Urban Renaissance.
- This is a system that provides official status and support measures to excellent urban development organizations that possess abundant information and know-how regarding urban development, and have established operational structures and personnel, in order to encourage their active utilization.
- Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporations are expected to develop area management (development and management of public spaces, information dissemination, implementation of events, etc.) that municipalities or private developers cannot fully fulfill on their own.
- Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporations can propose drafts of urban renewal development plans and landscape plans necessary for their own operations to municipalities.
- Utilizing this system creates benefits for both citizens (users) and the administration (Note: These are general contents of the system introduction; some may not apply to the Takanohara Station area).

For Citizens (Local Residents):
- Events reflecting resident needs and the utilization of public spaces are carried out -> Increased local vibrancy.
- With the Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporation acting as a point of contact, community-led activities become easier to implement in public spaces -> Lower hurdles for public space usage and creation of diverse, attractive content.
- Public spaces are maintained to be beautiful and easy to use through private-sector know-how -> Maintenance of a comfortable town and improved crime prevention.

For Administration (Nara City):
- A mechanism is created where advertising revenue and facility usage fees from public spaces utilized by the Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporation can be directly allocated to urban development activities, allowing for the provision of high-quality services while curbing the financial burden on the administration.
- Detailed management and operation of public spaces reflecting local voices become possible.
- Continuous urban development is guaranteed while ensuring fairness and transparency.
- By officially designating the organization as a leader in local urban development, the city can provide active support.

Examples in Other Cities:
- Sapporo City: First designation in the country (Dec 9, 2011, Sapporo Odori Machizukuri Co., Ltd.). Uses advertising on public space structures like subway entrance roofs as a revenue business, with all profits returned to urban development projects.
- Sakurai City: Urban Renaissance Promotion Corporation within the prefecture (Sep 1, 2016, Sakurai Machizukuri Co., Ltd.). Uses subleasing businesses (renovating private properties for coffee shops and restaurants) and hometown tax return gift businesses as revenue sources, returning profits to urban development projects.

Inquiries regarding this matter:
Nara City, Urban Policy Division
TEL: 0742-93-6598