Building smart cities

Sustainable development of Semboku New Town

Semboku New Town is a representative example of community development through collaborative creation with local governments in areas along our railway lines. Located in Sakai City, for which we have been promoting a vitalization plan since 2014, the Izumigaoka Station area is the main area in Semboku New Town. We are promoting the Izumigaoka Station-Front Vitalization Project and Semboku New Town Smart City Strategy to take advantage of the opportunities created by the relocation of Kindai University's Faculty of Medicine and Kindai University Hospital to the Izumigaoka Station district, as well as the influx of new residents due to the UR redevelopment projects (public housing condominiums). As a pilot model for the regeneration of the new town, we will work to restart the new plan as soon as possible in order to realize more attractive, lively, and sustainable community development.

* Semboku New Town is one of the largest new towns in Kansai, which once boasted a population of 165,000 in 1992. More than 50 years after its establishment, the population had dropped to 116,000 in 2021. By 2030, it is expected to drop further to less than 100,000, so the declining and aging population is a serious social issue. In response, we are working with stakeholders to promote activities that bring out the area’s appeal and vitality.

Public-private partnership to create a sustainable community in Semboku New Town: SENBOKU Smart City Consortium

In order to promote sustainable communities development in Semboku New Town, the SENBOKU Smart City Consortium was established in June 2022 by Sakai City, Osaka Gas, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation, and our company based on the principles of the SENBOKU New Design and Sakai Smart City Strategy. Currently, more than 150 organizations, including companies and universities, have joined the consortium, accelerating efforts through equal partnership between public and private sectors.

In FY2023, 15 projects were implemented in five working groups (Mobility, Energy, Healthcare, Smart Town, and Data Linkage), and the Nankai Group tested the AI-based NANKAI On-demand Bus service and the Health-Smart Semboku healthcare app. As a member of the steering committee, we will work to establish the new services in the community through planning and coordination of demonstration projects and other activities.

Demonstration project for an NANKAI
on-demand bus

Our company and Nankai Bus, together with Sakai City, run an AI-driven on-demand bus demonstration project. The purpose is to encourage residents in Semboku New Town area to go out and about, improve the convenience of transportation to destinations, and create a new way to get around the area.

The demonstration project has been in operation since FY2022. In its second year (FY2023), the number of bus stops increased significantly from the previous year (from 29 to 50), and the average number of passengers per day also increased significantly from 14 to 28. In a user survey, 96% of respondents answered that they thought the on-demand bus would increase the number of opportunities to go out, and it has been well received.

To explore the commercialization of on-demand buses, which are expected to play a role in the "last mile," we will conduct a third demonstration project starting in October 2024, expanding the area and duration, and inviting local businesses to participate as supporters.

* This demonstration project was selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Kyoso (collaborative creation) model test operation project for FY2024, and is being implemented using the subsidy.

Using the on-demand bus

Health care app “Health-Smart
Semboku" Demonstration Experiment

As part of the SENBOKU Smart City Consortium's measures, a demonstration experiment is being conducted from 2022 on the smartphone app Health-Smart Semboku, which promotes behavioral changes and the prevention of lifestyle diseases by encouraging seniors to develop exercise and measurement habits.

In 2023, we started a service that allows users to exchange points accumulated by walking for digital tickets on the Semboku Rapid Railway. We also accelerated our healthcare business in collaboration with Mizuho Bank, Ltd. (e.g., the Memory Support Project with Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.). We are also working with Osaka Public University and other organizations in various fields to promote our initiatives.

By July 2024, the number of registered users had exceeded 9,000, and the high active rate of 80% has been maintained.