The system of roads in the city of Osaka was originally conceived during
the construction of Osaka Castle by Toyotomo Hideyoshi and arranged in
an orderly fashion according to a grid pattern. These roads were gradually
revamped and reinforced as crucial elements of the infrastructure of an
economically significant city in the Edo Period. However, these roads
were barely adequate to accommodate traffic consisting of people, horses,
and ox-drawn carriages.
Osaka was incorporated as a city in 1889 and began to seek a modern approach
to urban planning. In 1903, Osaka sought to take advantage of the opportunities
presented by the fifth national industrial exhibition and launched the
operations of its first municipal streetcar. As part of such changes,
projects were undertaken to widen the narrow streets in the city.
In 1920, a road improvement plan was drafted, thereby marking the first
step for road construction undertaken according to the dictates of modern
urban planning.
Based on reconstruction plans in the post-war years, a vision of traffic
for the future was formulated and lines and road widths were determined.
Full-scale development commenced in 1953, and in the years since, we have
been involved in developing the road network in conjunction with various
large-scale events and projects, most notably the Japan World Exposition
held in 1970, the International Garden and Greenery Exhibition held in
1990, and the construction of Kansai International Airport, which opened
in September 1994. |
