The Future of Cities

In 2019, Mori Building established Mori Building Urban Lab, a facility to think about the future of Tokyo and other cities from different angles by taking a bird’s-eye view of cities. The facility measures approximately 1,670 square meters in total. Boasting an impressively spacious area of about 740 square meters, the Theater Room features a large model of Tokyo (15-meters-long x 24-meters-wide with a 200-square-meter area) and a huge 360-degree screen on the walls surrounding the city model. Projection mapping created with high-definition projectors and state-of-the-art video technology offer a diverse perspective to discuss the future of the international city of Tokyo. As competition among international cities becomes increasingly intense, we will strategically consider themes such as what kind of city Tokyo should be going forward and how urban lifestyles will change.

Just as digital technology has greatly altered our lives and how we work, the impact of cutting-edge technology on cities and urban lifestyles is an important issue. Mori Building has carried out a wide range of joint R&D projects with universities, research institutes, and companies at our Hills urban complexes, such as Cities x Biotechnology with MIT Media Lab (2014–2020) and Cities x Wellness with Keio University.

This was possible because Hills developments could be used as the platform. At our Hills urban complexes, a wide range of urban activities are concentrated in a compact size and centrally managed, making them the perfect test site. We want our Hills urban complexes to always remain open minded to companies and people who take on forward-looking challenges. Going forward, Mori Building will continue to take on new challenges in collaboration with other industries and sectors.

The future of cities is in the hands of the youth and children. Mori Building believes nurturing cities also nurtures the next generation. Toranomon Hills Glass Rock is a place where diverse people including students gather as a community for social action that looks ahead to the next 100 years. We also carry out initiatives that turn the entire urban complex into a place of learning for children in partnership with tenant companies and stores. Using real urban complexes like Roppongi Hills and ARK Hills as living educational materials, we provide children opportunities to build the future by introducing them to state-of-the-art technology, cutting-edge ideas, and professionals who are on the forefront of their respective industries.

Since the debut of Azabudai Hills, we have been gradually integrating each Hills development with each other, creating a connected Hills area in the heart of Tokyo. Mori Building believes that the most important part of this is to make the diverse aspects of human life and experiences at each Hills urban complex go even more seamless. To accomplish this, we developed an urban digital platform called Hills Network.

Users of Hills urban complexes are provided a Hills ID and the Hills app that connects with the network. This allows them to use a variety of Hills services completely online. And based on user data such as attributes, facility use history, and geolocation, users can receive personalized Hills information, for a more convenient and enriching city life and customer experience.