Build Vision B.V., based in the Netherlands, has spent roughly 10 years researching sustainability on the ground across Europe — more than 20 cities in 12 countries, through over 50 projects. One clear pattern has emerged: green transformation (GX) is advancing fastest in large cities that have financial capacity to spare.
A decade of field research, in numbers
- Cities visited: 20+ cities across 12 European countries
- Projects delivered: 50+ over roughly 10 years
- Average inspection tour: 9 days
- Organizations worked with: 30+ major companies and municipalities
What we found: GX advances in cities that can afford it
Across the many cities we visited, GX and sustainability initiatives tend to be led by large cities with financial and human resources to spare. Even in Europe, it is the cities with the capacity to invest — not just the ambition — that are able to implement regenerative urban development. For Japanese cities pursuing GX, strategy needs to be designed with this reality in mind.
What this means for Japanese cities
Applying these common threads to Japan, three things become clear.
First, scale is no excuse. Most of the leading cities we visited have populations of 100,000 to 600,000 — about the same as Japan’s regional core cities. Lahti (about 120,000 people) achieved its coal exit not through budget size but through shared purpose and cross-departmental design.
Second, these cities treat GX not as environmental policy but as urban management. Greening, mobility, and energy are designed as city-wide investment decisions spanning economy, health, and tourism — not as the environment department’s job.
Third, they have a pipeline of first-hand information. European cities exchange what worked and what failed directly, through hubs like BLOXHUB and city-to-city networks. For Japanese cities to plug into these networks, an ongoing local relationship is essential — which is exactly why we maintain the City of Helsinki (Helsinki Partners) and the City of Lahti (LADEC) as partner organizations.
Talk to us about European sustainability research
Build Vision B.V. supports Japanese companies and municipalities with sustainability strategy, European inspection tours, and market research, grounded in this kind of first-hand information.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Q. Which cities did you visit?
Centered on the Nordics (Finland, Denmark, Sweden), plus the Netherlands, Germany, France, and more — 12 countries and over 20 cities, including Helsinki, Lahti, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Lisbon, and San Sebastián — conducting interviews with governments, companies, and research institutes alongside on-the-ground observation. The City of Helsinki (Helsinki Partners) and the City of Lahti (LADEC) are our partner organizations. We also attend a large number of industry conferences, such as Slush (Helsinki), EV and autonomous-driving conferences, motor shows, sustainable-agriculture conferences, and 3daysofdesign in design.
Q. What is the biggest difference between European and Japanese cities?
The biggest difference is that GX is treated as an investment that raises the city’s value, not as an environmental cost. Greening and pedestrianization are designed together with shop revenues, health, tourism, and property values — so budgets and people move across departments.
Q. Can we get the underlying data or a detailed report? Can you arrange study tours?
Yes. Raw data and city-by-city details are available through our European sustainability research service — please get in touch. For study tours, we propose themes — for example “stations,” “GX,” “public squares,” “food and the city,” or “waterfronts” — and arrange the visits and local meeting partners to match.
Related articles
- What Is Sustainability Management (SX)?
- What Is a Regenerative City?
- What Is GX (Green Transformation)?
- Contact Build Vision B.V.
About the author
Kazumitsu Yoshida — CEO / Creative Director, Build Vision B.V.
Based in the Netherlands, Kazumitsu founded and leads Build Vision B.V., a creative consulting firm connecting Japan and Europe. Drawing on 10+ years living in Europe and partnerships with municipalities and companies across Europe and the Nordics, he works across urban development, food, energy and the environment on a wide range of sustainability projects. Rather than simply meeting indicators or standards, he specializes in fundamental sustainable management and supporting the GX/SX of companies and local governments. He has collaborated with Mitsubishi Estate, Japan’s MLIT and METI, DOCOMO, Dentsu, Hakuhodo, Nissin Foods, TOTO, KOKUYO and many local governments, and speaks and writes frequently, including at SusHi Tech and government seminars. Founder of Regenerative Community Tokyo.
