The name Keihanna is constructed by extracting a representative kanji from Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara.

The city was constructed to help the advancement of creative arts, sciences, and research, as well as to spur the creation of new industries and cultures.

The overall area of the Kansai Science City is 154 square kilometers (59 sq mi), with an estimated population of 250,000.

There are 12 "Cultural and Academic Research Zones" within the Kansai Science City, encompassing 33 square kilometers (13 sq mi), with an estimated population of 100,000.

In 2016, a government committee planning the final Kyoto-Osaka segment of the Hokuriku Shinkansen proposed routing the new high-speed line through Kyōtanabe.