Disasters are sorrowful events that victimize many people. But new beginnings must be made so that those many lives were not lost in vain.  This disaster also calls for new ties and new hopes.  In order to realize this, let gather the wisdom of many.

An opportunity to make it the hope of the world
     We believe that through an international proposal competition, we can gather wisdom, in other words, design, technology, and funds to create cutting edge, but safe, gentle and sustainable towns and regions for the world and our children.  This is our chance to build towns that are the hope of the world.

Ideas from many people
     What are needed now are ideas for revival at the disaster sites. Where and how should houses be built? How should we protect factories, government buildings, shopping districts, agriculture, fisheries, and industries?  How and where should we build the schools and nurseries? Can new industries be built? Will the town become a place that attracts tourism? Is it possible to create a town that is beautiful with a lot of parks? How can we make towns where people, children, and the elderly can live in good health and spirits?  So many ideas are needed.

A collection of ideas
     For the revival from this massive earthquake, which was equivalent to the Great Kanto Earthquake, we should utilize the merits of the advanced information society to widely collect ideas and funds.  We should open the doors to the world in the form of an international competition to simultaneously collect ideas for approximately 30 disaster areas in order to promote a speedy recovery.

A variety of ideas
     This competition will not be limited to the usual planning of creating towns and regions, but will also ask for management-style proposals for the region’s industries and economical investments in order to induce the will to conduct business within the people.  By this, not only government funding will be put to use but it will be possible to widely make commercial investments.

Small ideas
     Even small ideas are important.  They can be specific ideas for specific areas or specific environments.  The collection of small, but good ideas will lead to the creation of beautiful towns where children can grow.

Ideas realized in a short time span
     This proposal competition will be executed in a short time span of only three months from completing a participation outline, announcement, accepting proposals, and judging.  Three months is a very short time to prepare, but it must be carried out in order to put speed to revival.

The basis of support by wisdom
     Various types of support are essential for revival.  Support in the form of action, money, and wisdom.  This competition is based on support by wisdom.

Construction of sustainable towns
     Revival does not mean to recreate towns in their former state. Reconstruction must make towns and regions stronger against future disasters.  What is wanted is the creation of towns that coexist with nature and has new disaster prevention features, and also is sustainable in providing an environment where children can grow in good health and spirit.

Regions centered around children
     A lot of the disaster stricken regions have seen a 10% decrease in population in the past decade.  They are leading areas of an aging society with a decreasing number of children.  This is an issue that must be overcome in order to make energetic regions.  It is necessarty to create beautiful locations with new industries and new jobs, children can be born.

Beautiful locations with beautiful towns
 Many of the regions are towns with traditional Japanese beauty.  They must not be left in ruins by this disaster.  They must become even more beautiful, enhancing their potential to attract many tourists.  In order to do so, the will and superior designs of many people are essential.

Designs of the earth
     Not only grand designs, but grounded designs that support the local residents are needed. This competition was planned as a vessel to receive those ideas.

Area-specific proposals
     The situations of each disaster area differ. They have different histories and cultures.  Therefore, this competition will be for proposals made individually.  While passing down their unique characteristics, careful consideration will be made for the details in order to create towns where the residents and children can come home to.

Two categories
     Proposals can be made for the disaster area as a whole, or for individual areas. 
The two categories are as below.
　A. A common proposal for areas that received extensive damage by the earthquake.
　B. Proposals for individual areas that received extensive damage by the earthquake.

Independent and versatile action
     Funding is necessary to hold and international proposal competition.  This international proposal competition will collect participation fees, which will ultimately be used to support the applicants.  What is most important is that swift and versatile action be taken for the disaster stricken people.

Do your own research
     We recommend that participants go directly to the disaster sites to research the situation hands on.  Walk the sites.  If that is not possible, we still hope that you can sympathize with the difficulties of the residents from video footage of the disaster.  Current information regarding the disaster areas will be updated on the Association for Children’s Environment web site. We seek proposals for ideas of how the towns should be, dreams, and realistic methods as well.

Make your own program
     There is not much of a set program for competition proposals.  We would like for participants to create their own program in presentation.

Proposal competition by the applicants
     This competition is not held by the local governments or the nation.  It is independently run by the participants.  A system has been established to evaluate it.  If the plan can win the support of the disaster stricken people, the local governments and nation may be moved.  The proposals created by the participants can invigorate the residents.  And we hope that highly evaluated ideas will have some effect on the local governments and nation.

Symphony
     Disaster is still in progress.  There is no foreseeable end to the nuclear plant accident.  Some of the disaster stricken residents feels that it is too soon to start revival when so many people are still missing.  The local governments have their hands full.  However, revival must start at once for the sake of children.

Perspective of children
     Perspective of children is quite important for the community design, we hope you will make proposals reflecting children’s perspectives and opinions.

Participation of children
     This proposal competition is not only for experts, but in order to gather as many kinds of ideas as possible, various categories of proposal competitions will be held.  A proposal competition for children will also be held.

Expectation toward resilience of children and cities
     Times of difficulty are seen in any era.  Adults must think of cities and regions where children can grow in good health and spirit.  Furthermore, children themselves must think about how their own towns must be.  Towns must be created in a way that children can overcome difficult times and open the doors to a bright and hopeful future.

We want the young generation to think about this
     We hope that many young people see the disaster hit areas with their own eyes.  And we want them to think.  We want them to sympathize with the people there, and consider the possibility that they themselves may experience the same sorrow some day.  Then, they may be able to think about what is necessary to overcome that situation.  We want them to think about the future of this country and those disaster stricken regions.

Evaluation from all aspects
     Judgment and evaluation of the plans will be made by a group of a variety of experts in the fields of economics, industry, city planning, construction, architecture, environment, welfare, medicine, education, government, and such.  However, local residents and children will also participate in the selection process.  Children will be a part of deciding the future of their town, and realizing their own dreams.

A variety of evaluations
     Evaluations will be made through mutual debates among specialists to make thorough evaluations.  Depending on the proposed idea, judges as evaluators may be selected.  The important thing is to appropriately evaluate superior ideas.  Such proposals may not be evaluated well by all judges, but some good ideas may be discovered by an evaluator with a special eye for a particular idea.

Recovery by proposal competition
     It may be thought that in order to realize revival in a short period of time, the easiest way to select planners and designers is through a bid.  However, community design over a span of many years cannot succeed in that way.  The situation we face now calls for ideas through proposals.

The leaders of recovery proposal competitions
     Now, according to the timeline of recovery, it is necessary to execute many proposal competitions, technical proposal competitions, and business competitions.  And the realization of original and beautiful towns where children can grow is necessary.  This competition is the leader of such thought.

Recommendation for a Master Architect
     There are no monetary awards for this competition.  Only evaluations are presented.  And master architects, planners, and advisors who will think seriously about the region in question will be recommended out of the superior proposals.  And though that selection may not be accepted by the people or governments of the disaster areas, people who propose superior ideas and designs are sure to affect many people.

Ideas provide new drive
     Ideas and designs will be announced in various forms.  Sometimes, more new ideas will arise from former ideas.  We hope that this will become the start of a chain of hopes, dreams, creativity, and a driving force.