Tokyo's urban condition of narrow streets, sprawling low-rise buildings and few parks did not offer its citizens a high quality of life. What's more, the horizontally oriented cityscape did not stack up against other international cities. Renowned developer Minoru Mori envisioned a mid-town district that would afford citizens a better lifestyle and become a cultural center attracting people from all over the world. That vision is Roppongi Hills, Japan's largest private real estate development. Roppongi Hills inte­grates a full range of uses, offices, a world-class museum, residential to­wers, a luxury hotel, cinema, retail, a subway station and restaurants into a walkable community. Jerde made it a community people would want to walk by knitting the high-volume buildings with wide pedestrian pathways and generous open spaces—a rare sight in the crowded city. Additionally, Jerde incorporated natural materials and landscaping into the pedestrian-level uses. Since opening in April, Roppongi Hills has been embraced by the people of Tokyo as a new symbol of culture and urbanity. It has also established an important green district with ground-level parks and rooftop gardens.