What is NeoLos?

The Horokita area, located between Hokkaido University, Sosegawa River, and Kita 12 to 23, has many universities, so many university students and international students reside in the area, and the average age of the residents is the youngest in Sapporo. However, students, who make up half of the residents of the Horokita area, have not been very involved in activities as residents. Therefore, “NeoLos-Horokita” was formed in 2007 by students and residents to bring new perspectives and power to community development. “NeoLos” has the meaning of “new” and “rooted in the community” and is the nickname for the organization’s initial name, “Students and the Community Thinking about City Planning Association.

Currently, we engage in various activities, including cooperation in seasonal community events and international student exchanges, and the dissemination of community information, in collaboration with university students and neighborhood associations, elementary schools, children’s halls, and private think tanks in Horokita.

 

 Interaction with local residents

People of various ages, from children to adults, live in the Horokita area. We are engaged in activities to reaffirm the goodness of intergenerational exchanges and neighborly relations, which are becoming less and less common in modern society.

For large events on the scale of the Horokita United Neighborhood Association, we plan, produce, set up, and operate events such as summer festivals and snow festivals at elementary schools, while holding numerous meetings with the department in charge of the neighborhood association and elementary school teachers. In 2016, we were able to communicate more closely with the elementary school students than in previous years, as we sought their opinions during class exchanges, and university students even asked the elementary school students to help produce items and serve as emcees on the day of the event.

 

Exchange programs with foreign students

Many international students studying at Hokkaido University live in the Horokita area. However, their families tend to stay at home. To bridge the gap between them and residents, we hold an exchange program with international students mainly through an exchange meeting once a year.

 

Information Dissemination Programs

We disseminate information about the Horokita area through the publication of the regional information magazine “Hora Hora Horokita”. We have researched the history and activities of the community through interviews and compiled them into four booklets. Some of the completed booklets are donated to elementary schools.