Quietly, "A town comfortable to live in is a town comfortable to travel in" has been the ideology leavening a new phase of Inclusive Destination Development.
During the Accessible Tourism Conference, Ms. Etsuko Ueno will deliver a report by Mr. Makoto Yamamoto on the town of Takayama City, Japan. (It has the geographic footprint of Tokyo and the charm of a village - what is the right word for it?).
In the central region of Japan with mountains, traditional crafts, and an imposing castle, Takayama presents a fascinating multi-use case study on Universal Design in city and regional planning. Here we have living examples of solutions that preserve cultural integrity; facilitate aging-in-place; manifest environmental sensitivity; and promote inclusive tourism.
See for yourself at:
http://www.hida.jp/english/climate_and_history.htm
inclusive destination development
Posted by rollingrains at May 5, 2005 11:40 PM