From Local to Global: Arrow and Nihon University

Arrow Planning was invited to deliver a 90-minute guest lecture titled “Bridging Systems: UK and Japanese Approaches to Urban Planning” to approximately 30 students and a couple of professors in the Urban Planning and Design Department at the College of Science and Technology, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan. This is where I completed my Master’s and undergraduate degrees in planning before moving to the UK.

This was our first collaboration with a university abroad. Despite language and time zone differences, we successfully delivered a lecture on the UK’s planning system, including its historical background, and compared perspectives on development in Japan and the UK through case studies.

Preparation

While I was in Japan, I kept up my tradition of catching up with some professors at the university (yes, drinks were definitely involved!). During conversation, a brilliant idea popped up: a collaboration between Arrow and the university.

I shared it with Arrow; they didn’t even think twice and were thrilled to support the idea! I got straight into the detail with planning the event, I was busy coordinating with the university, as well as Mark and Jemimah, on lecture contents, marketing plans, and more. Turning a casual catch-up into a developing partnership, who knew a friendly drink could spark such big ideas?

Lecture Contents

The lecture began with an introduction to Arrow Planning and continued with an overview of the basic planning system in the UK, including its historical background. Key topics included Ebenezer Howard and the Garden City Movement in the pre-WWII era, and post-WWII, when the foundation for the current planning system was introduced, as well as the introduction of the Localism Act and discussion of current planning issues, such as recent government policy shifts, housing supply challenges, housing affordability, and NIMBYism.

The lecture also included a comparison of general attitudes toward development in Japan and the UK, illustrated with case studies of a UK pub (Trafalgar Tavern) and a café in Tokyo (Canal Café). What we found is that local councils in the UK tend to be conservative, and this trend is generally consistent across different cases. Political influence also plays a significant role in shaping planning policy and decisions. In contrast, Japan shows more flexibility and less resistance to development. Local planning authorities actively work to make areas more attractive by updating and adapting planning regulations. This trend appears to be driven more by general attitudes toward development than by political change. At the same time, Japan still makes efforts to protect specific areas for ecological, historical, and cultural reasons.

Lecture and the Feedback

We hosted a Live Q&A session with our students, supported by real-time translation via Google Meet and I assisted with language support. The session included thoughtful discussions, with questions ranging from the rise of NIMBYism and New Towns to broader infrastructure issues. One moment that stood out was a student who, as a big football fan, made the effort to ask her question in English. She was particularly curious about how the UK responds to NIMBYism when planning football stadiums, reflecting her genuine enthusiasm.

After the lecture, we collected feedback from the students and were thrilled by the overwhelmingly positive response: out of 30 students, 9 rated the session 4 out of 5, and 21 rated it 5 out of 5. The feedback highlighted strong appreciation for both the overall experience and the specific content on the UK Planning System. Many students rated the lecture at the highest level, indicating it was not only informative but also engaging.

We did notice, however, that the live translation was not always accurate, and some students faced difficulties following it. This is an area we see as an opportunity for improvement in future sessions to make the experience even smoother and more accessible.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the session was a great success, showcasing the students’ curiosity and engagement and highlighting the value of interactive, cross-language learning experiences.

On the Urban Planning and Design Department’s Facebook post, they made a comment to this collaboration in Japanese, which I translated in English:

“… although the systems related to urban planning and development differ between the UK and Japan, it was concluded that there are many similarities in the challenges and issues faced. Continuous exchange of ideas will contribute to the development of urban planning in both countries.

This special lecture represented a first for the Department and proved to be an effective initiative with scope for future progress.”

Personally, this was a great experience for me. I have previously written a blog post about the Planning System in Japan, which encouraged my reflection on the differences between Japan and the UK. This experience gave me the opportunity to explain those differences to the students in Japan, which was a valuable experience for my own development.

Lastly, my colleagues and I would like to say a huge thank you to the Urban Planning and Design department at Nihon University for this opportunity. We would like to continue this successful collaboration, and we welcome the opportunity to collaborate with various organisations to exchange and share planning knowledge for future development.

Here is some relevant information about this collaboration covered on Arrow Planning and Nihon University social media platforms.

• Arrow’s LinkedIn Post
• Nihon University’s Facebook Post
• Planning Systems in Japan – Arrow’s blog

Written by Ayano.