On the eve of the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing, Hiroshima community leaders and the Kamihatchi Kiteru identified the Aioi District as a core renewal area. The International City of Peace envisions comprehensive transformation of the 40-meter-wide downtown corridor’s six automobiles and two streetcar lanes, narrow sidewalks, and limited urban canopy. Creating a human-centered urban district, the Aioi Street Transit Park is a mosaic of multi-generational and flexible open space. Using an urban gird to unify the street, the design combines a linear park with a transit mall. Surrounded by a tranquil open space, the streetcar lanes offer convenient access to public transit and connectivity to iconic neighborhoods. Buses share the lanes with micromobility integrate parks, museums, monuments, public art, businesses, and the train station. Community-driven parklets reflect a desire for weekday and night programming as well as weekend celebrations. Once a barrier to pedestrian safety, the Aioi has become an epicenter for social experiments in recent years, curating public realm with vibrant year-round activation.
