Delivered on August 17, 2026
"Creating the Future of Urban Development Through Road Planning and Big Data
Speakers:
Eiji Tsurumi, President and CEO, System 21 Co., Ltd.
Affiliation and position information is as of the time of distribution
What kind of data is used to plan roads and transportation infrastructure, shaping the future of our communities? We welcomed Mr. Eiji Tsurumi, President and CEO of System21 Co., Ltd., as our guest to hear about the realities of road and transportation planning consulting, analysis using big data on transportation, and the latest trends in the maintenance and management of public infrastructure. Using bus routes and roadside rest areas as examples, we will explain in detail the impact of transportation planning on regional revitalization and how data is used by the government for decision-making. Furthermore, we will explore the possibilities of future urban development by combining generative AI and big data, and System21's vision of creating a "society that people enjoy using." This is a must-see for anyone interested in transportation and urban planning, location data, and regional DX.
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System 21 Co., Ltd.'s Expertise and Approach to Road and Transportation Planning
System 21 Co., Ltd. is a construction consulting firm that has specialized in road and transportation planning for approximately 17 years since its establishment in 2009. While general construction consulting firms cover a wide range of areas from design and construction to maintenance, a major characteristic of this company is its specialization in "plan formulation" based on data collection and analysis. The representative, Eiji Tsurumi, is a specialist with the qualification of "Professional Engineer" in the road field of the construction division, and has consistently been engaged in planning-related work. Despite having a small, elite team of 13 people, the company leverages its accumulated advanced expertise to support decision-making in public works projects for local governments and other organizations. In recent years, in line with changing times, the company has incorporated big data analysis and is focusing on improving its technology to enable more advanced management and planning.
The Evolution of Road Infrastructure Planning: From Construction to Maintenance and Advanced Analysis
Many of the foundations for road planning in Japan were established during the period of rapid economic growth around the time of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. At the time, the biggest challenge was determining the order and scale of road network development, from high-standard roads to smaller municipal roads, and the construction of an appropriate road network was required. Traditional methods involved using surveys such as the "Road Traffic Census," conducted every three to five years, to collect data on origin and destination (OD volume). Based on this, future traffic demand 20 years into the future was predicted, and the scale and structure of roads were determined. However, currently, the demand for constructing new roads has decreased, and there is a clear shift towards maintenance, such as replacing existing bridges and addressing aging infrastructure.
The Importance of Evidence and Data in Building Consensus with Residents
Building consensus with residents is an extremely important process in the development of large-scale transportation infrastructure and urban planning, and System 21 is responsible for providing the data for this purpose. For example, in massive projects like the Outer Ring Road, dialogue has continued for decades to explain the necessity and effects to residents and gain their understanding. The company's role is to organize the effects objectively derived from data, rather than relying on subjective opinions, and share them with citizens. The scope of consensus building extends beyond roads themselves to include "soft" aspects such as the use of parks and facilities. The visualization of big data has high explanatory power for a wide range of people, from the elderly to young people, and information dissemination via the web has a significant social impact, making it a valuable tool for fair decision-making.
Optimization of Regional Transportation: Bus Route Planning and the Use of Big Data
A concrete example of data utilization is the effort to analyze local movement patterns and reorganize and optimize bus routes. Traditional bus route planning generally involved drawing routes in areas with high population density, but now there is a demand for designs based on more detailed movement data. By utilizing big data, it is possible to precisely grasp actual movement patterns to major destinations such as hospitals and government offices, supporting route selection that reflects real-life situations. Furthermore, the perspective of analysis is also changing; not only is the reduction of travel time emphasized, but also economic ripple effects such as the revitalization of shopping districts and indicators such as ensuring safe travel for the elderly. Carefully understanding the needs of stakeholders such as resident surveys, neighborhood associations, and the police is essential for planning to protect local transportation.
Learning from the Success of "Roadside Stations": Regional Revitalization and Unexpected Exchange Effects
As a successful example of design aimed at regional revitalization, the "Roadside Station" initiative, which began several decades ago, can be cited. Initially, there were skeptical opinions about road administration creating commercial facilities, but once operations began, many people started visiting by car in search of local products. Roadside stations evolved beyond mere rest facilities into valuable community hubs where people could gather amidst a decline in local shops. This led to exchanges from a wider area that were not anticipated in the initial plan, and as a result, it can be said to be an example that greatly contributed to the revitalization of the entire region. How to consider such "unexpected positive effects" at the design stage and how to preserve and utilize existing infrastructure is the essence of modern transportation planning.
Future Town Planning: A New Proposal Combining Generative AI and Big Data
System 21 aims to propose a new town planning approach that combines generative AI and big data as its future outlook. As technological advancements accelerate the processing of vast amounts of information, the company prioritizes proposing social infrastructure that people find enjoyable and interesting to use. A team of 13 members combines their sensibilities and technical skills, utilizing digital tools while maintaining a human-centered perspective in their planning. They believe it's crucial to continuously provide organized data as a basis for government decision-making and to build a cycle where this data is visibly presented to the public. While leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as location data and AI, their ultimate vision is to "contribute to society as engineers."
Summary
System 21 Co., Ltd., in its specialized field of road and transportation planning, continues to support the shaping of regional futures by combining years of experience with the latest data technologies. In a shift from an era of "creation" to an era of "utilization," the evidence-based plans provided by the company have become an indispensable foundation for government decision-making and consensus building with residents.
The optimization of bus routes and regional revitalization initiatives seen in roadside rest areas demonstrate that data analysis goes beyond mere efficiency improvements, directly contributing to improved quality of life and economic revitalization. Moving forward, we aim to create more attractive social infrastructure by leveraging generative AI and big data to visualize not only "convenience" but also "enjoyment" and "vibrancy." As a small but highly motivated group of engineers, System 21 will continue to explore the possibilities of location data and contribute to sustainable urban development.