Expansion of Urban Park Development—October 1973 to October 1978

Expansion of Urban Park Development—October 1973 to October 1978 The October 15, 1973, issue covered the national conference commemorating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the urban park system and the enactment of the Urban Green Space Conservation Act. Urban parks began to be positioned not merely as playgrounds, but as an institutional foundation for protecting the urban environment. The February 1, 1974, issue reported that the proposed budget for park projects for fiscal year 1974 was 59.5 billion yen in project costs, a 21% increase from the previous year. Urban park development entered a phase of expansion, and its importance as a national public works project grew. The July 15, 1974, issue reported that the White Paper on Construction outlined a policy to secure 9 square meters of urban park space per person by the year 1985. Park development was treated as a policy with long-term area targets. The May 1, 1975, issue announced the allocation of the urban park budget, with 26.1 billion yen distributed to 1,900 locations, including Obihiro no Mori. This marked the beginning of a phase in which park development was being advanced on a nationwide scale. The October 1, 1975 issue presented estimates showing that even with a 20 trillion yen investment in urban parks, the per capita area would barely reach 5.8 square meters, revealing the severity of the shortage of green space in urban areas. The August 15, 1977 issue featured interviews with representatives from various political parties regarding the expansion of urban park development and also covered the current status and future prospects of the Tokyo Bay Marine Park. Park development had become a national policy issue. The April 1, 1978, issue reported that construction of Showa Memorial Park would begin that fall, marking the concrete realization of large-scale national park development. The October 1, 1978, issue highlighted efforts by the Council for the Promotion of Urban Park Development to formulate a long-term plan, establishing urban park development as a continuous national land policy.