The elevated railway and expressways left many spaces under the construction. In Japan, the utilization of the spaces is a good model for Taichung City’s case. Today Mayor Lin Chia-lung took the opportunity to visit the handcraft street “2K540 AKI-OKA ARTISAN” next to Tokyo Station. The once deserted space has been renovated into an attraction of creativity. The 21.7km elevated space under railway will be developed into Taichung Overpass and green hallway, decorating the city with a line of greenery. The area nearby station is proposed to be a creative zone similar to 2K540.

The 200m long, 40m wide “2K540 AKI-OKA ARTISAN” is occupied by 50 shops ranging from leather goods, natural dye goods, watches, woodcraft, coffee drinks, to metal and pottery goods, etc. The exposed piers bringing the rumbling sounds of trains, while passengers relax and enjoy the artisanal creation.

Elevated railway has just completed between Fengyuan and Daqing Station, giving a 21.7km under space planned for Taichung Overpass, green hallway, cycling lane, surrounded by shops and stores for young people to develop their creativity.

The circle line connecting mountain line and sea line railways is one of the transportation goal, indicated Mayor Lin, benefiting from the Yamanote Line twenty years ago when working in Japan, which makes the hub style network very practical for the public. Originated from the concept, Mayor Lin proposed a fully connected transportation network incorporating MRT Green Line, Blue Line, and Great Taichung Yamanote Line.

The elevated Taichung railway not only reserved original traffic space, the 1.6km embankment developed into “Taichung Overpass” also leaves the city an aerial garden. Connecting from the north-south under-path of Taichung Overpass, railway path, Luchuan & Liuchuan River bank, and 7 Park Lanes, the cycling lanes makes Taichung a bicycle friendly city, says Mayor Lin.

The “2K540” of “2K540 AKI-OKA ARTISAN” points at the location 2,540m from Tokyo direction Akihabara, while “AKI-OKA” the walk path between Akihabara and Okachimachi, and “ARTISAN”, the professional, maestro, in French. The deserted space under elevated Yamanote Line was reformed into shops of handmade goods by JR East Urban Development in 2011.