Development of the 'Heartful Park Index' Evaluation Metric

In Japan, park management is increasingly required to shift from the quantitative development of park green spaces to contributing to the qualitative improvement of people's well-being, regional economies, and biodiversity restoration. A research group from Hibiya Amenis Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Yukio Ito) and National University Corporation Chiba University (Location: Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture; President: Kotaro Yokote; Researcher: Associate Professor Tomoko Takeuchi, Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University) has developed the 'Heartful Park Index (HPI)' during a joint research period from April 2021 to March 2026. The purpose of this index is to visualize the multifaceted values and challenges of urban parks and connect them to the enhancement of parks' social value.

Logo mark for HPI. Designed by Minami Hashimoto, a graduate student at Chiba University.

Composition of HPI

HPI is primarily utilized by park managers who are involved in daily park administration and consists of the following two aspects:

Location Index Analyzes population data and environmental conditions around the park to grasp its potential and regional characteristics, including not just current users but also 'potential users who are not visiting the park.'

Initiative Index Visualizes how managers' creative efforts in areas such as safety, accessibility, health, and community building are linked to improving user well-being and regional value.

The visualized data helps managers demonstrate the social value of their initiatives. By sharing this with various stakeholders like citizens and government and fostering communication, it can be used as a tool to discuss the invisible values and challenges of parks as a 'common language,' thereby smoothing the consensus-building process.

Example of HPI evaluation results. The results can be shown in a radar chart.

How to Utilize HPI

We aim to improve the social value of parks by following the cycle below:

Evaluation by Managers: Recognize the park's inherent strengths, potential value, and future challenges.

Review of Management Content: Seek ways to strengthen the identified strengths and potential value, and to solve the challenges.

Implementation of Improvements: Develop the park's strengths and potential value, address the challenges, and maximize the park's social value.

Continuous Self-Evaluation: Steadily enhance the park's appeal through repeated regular evaluations.

Future Outlook

Our research group aims for HPI to be widely used in the field of park management and is providing evaluation tools and guidebooks. We hope to evolve the index to be more practical by receiving more feedback.

We are distributing various materials and accepting inquiries on our company website below.

⇒ [Hibiya Amenis Co., Ltd. | Heartful Park Index]

Hibiya Amenis Co., Ltd. Company Profile

With the corporate philosophy of 'Amenity Scape Creation,' the company has been involved in numerous landscaping and green space maintenance projects since its establishment. It also contributes to society and the environment through various green-related businesses, such as managing and developing public facilities like parks as a designated manager or Park-PFI operator.

Company Name: Hibiya Amenis Co., Ltd. (https://www.amenis.co.jp/) Representative: President Yukio Ito Head Office: 4F Daiwa Azabu Terrace, 3-20-1 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0047 Established: 1971 Capital: 300 million yen Number of Employees: 563 (as of April 2026)

National University Corporation Chiba University Profile (https://www.chiba-u.ac.jp/)

Established in 1949, it is a comprehensive university with 11 faculties and 9 graduate schools. Under the philosophy of 'Always aim higher,' it is engaged in global education and cutting-edge research. The Faculty of Horticulture and the Graduate School of Horticulture, the only ones in a national university, have a history of over 100 years including their predecessor schools. As a 'comprehensive school of food and green,' faculty members from diverse research fields come together to advance interdisciplinary education and research.

[Contact for this matter] Hibiya Amenis Co., Ltd. Environmental Greening Research Laboratory Contact: Takahashi Email: [email protected] Phone: 03-3453-2408