Stevenage Borough Council press release:
A delegation of Japanese academics has visited Stevenage as part of a tour of new towns in the UK and Sweden. The purpose of the trip was to learn about regeneration of new towns and about housing for elderly people.
The party consisted of Professor Masanori Sawaki and Assistant Professor Yu Shibata from Osaka University, together with Shigeru Yamamoto, Director of the Institute for Living Environment and Town management at Senri New Town.
During their time in Stevenage they had a tour of the Town Centre and the Oval. They also learned about Hertfordshire County Council’s plans for adult care services and visited the site of a new sustainable housing scheme at Peartree Way.
Cllr John Gardner, Deputy Leader of the Council, said, “It is pleasing to see that Stevenage remains as a focus point among the international urban planning community for the development and regeneration of new settlements.
“We are always pleased to meet with colleagues from other countries and exchange ideas with them to our mutual benefit. Our visitors were particularly interested in hearing about future growth, retail led regeneration, along with how we support and plan housing for older people.
“Like us, they were particularly interested in issues of climate change and building low carbon housing developments such as the one currently underway at Peartree Way. Both parties found the visit and discussions both interesting and valuable.”
