Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 58(3) 945-952, Oct 25, 2023 Peer-reviewedLead author
Compact, mixed-use urban structures are understood to lead to sustainable urban development and they are mainstream in contemporary urban planning both domestically and internationally. This study clarifies this trend in other countries through the revision of the German Land Use Ordinance (BauNVO). A comprehensive literature review revealed the following four points: 1) Even in Germany, there is a gap between the ideal and reality of urban planning, and there is much trial and error and debate in institutional design; 2) Currently, there is steady progress in expanding the permissibility of building uses and relaxing building density; 3) The mix of uses in rural spaces faces different challenges from those in urban spaces; 4) Political leadership is essential to realize the principles of the Leipzig Charter.
Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 57(3) 1309-1316, Oct 25, 2022 Peer-reviewed
The purpose of this study is to clarify the characteristics of districts where the decrease rate of residential households are high and the timing when these rates increase. Therefore, we categorized the districts of Himeji City using statistic data available to the local government. Moreover, we predicted the timing when residential households decrease in each district. As a result of these analysis, the districts in Himeji city are classified into 12 types and the pattens of decreasing residential households are classified into 4 types. In addition, the rate of decreasing residential households in commercial districts and industrial districts tend to be different from the rate in residential districts. Furthermore, the rate of decreasing residential households tend to be relatively slow in districts where vacant houses are likely to be redistributed into the market.
Reports of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 22(4) 683-686, Mar 11, 2024
The challenges of a declining and aging population drive the shift to more intensive urban structures. The importance of sub-centers is also increasing due to the diverse ways of living and working in the post-covid(19) world. Based on these backgrounds, this study aimed to identify the results and issues of the “RENOVATION KOBE” project, which aims to create a comprehensive space around a subcenter station based on the premise of a multi-pole, decentralized urban structure. To clarify the actual situation, we surveyed private businesses involved in supporting the utilization of the plaza. “RENOVATION KOBE” is seen to have PR effects on citizens and to induce urban functions. Still, it became clear that the initiative is unclear and relies heavily on the corporate efforts of business operators.
Reports of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 22(1) 20-23, Jun 9, 2023
Recently, due to increased number of occurrences of brief heavy rain, risk of flooding is increasing. As a countermeasure, this study focuses on rain gardens, a type of green infrastructure. The purpose of this study is to clarify achievements and challenges in implemented process and maintenance of rain gardens in Kyoto, relationships between actors and disaster mitigation effects. Through location analysis using GIS, interviews and field surveys, this study found: 1) Rain gardens can handle daily levels of rainfall but they have little relationship with extreme water hazards. 2) The Kyoto Landscape Architecture and Construction Association suggested that Kyoto City take the initiative in maintaining rain gardens, which is now being maintained by local volunteers. 3) The implementation is still in process, and there is a gap between the government and volunteers in terms of maintenance and management.
Reports of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 20(4) 362-365, Mar 3, 2022
We examined the functions of the barrier-free basic plan system in the case of ordinance-designated cities. The purpose of this study is to clarify the function of the barrier-free basic plan system and to suggest a method for setting priority development areas. This study conducted a literature search on the barrier-free basic plan system of ordinance-designated cities, and clarified the differences in department and from. Next, this study conducted a hearing survey with the person in charge of the local government, focusing on the ordinance-designated cities in the Kansai region. Based on the survey results, this study clarified the functions of the barrier-free basic plan system and proposed a method for setting priority development areas in ordinance-designated cities.
Reports of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 20(3) 292-297, Dec 3, 2021
This paper reports on a collaborative project implemented in August 2021 between Hyogo Prefectural Hokusetsu-Sanda High School and the University of Hyogo. The two-day short-term intensive project provided an opportunity for high school and university students to study together. The results of this project can be described as follows: 1) The program assumed a form of cooperation based on an equal relationship between the high school and the university from the design stage, which allowed for enhanced educational content and appropriate division of roles; 2) Responses to the questionnaire by participating students were mostly positive; and 3) Although this project was successful, some issues need to be resolved in order to continue implementing the project and clarify any links with urban planning or Machizukuri.
Reports of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 19(4) 376-379, Mar 3, 2021
We examined the relationship between urban public park characteristics and the evaluation of park management in the Designated Manager System (Shitei-kanrisya-seido: DMS) through the case of Hyogo prefectural park to improve the way of park management. The materials used for the analysis are plans of the targeted parks and relevant documents. According to these materials, the information on park types and facilities were sorted. Then we employed interview surveys with designated managers and their candidates to grasp how the evaluation of park management is conducted in the DMS. By using these results, existing problems of the DMS were discussed. The results show that the evaluation of park management based on park characteristics has not been sufficiently carried out in all the targeted parks. It was also found that designated managers had difficulty in understanding sufficiently what is the ideal management taking park characteristics into consideration like. These findings indicate the necessity of unique evaluation indicators for the park management evaluation in relation to park characteristics. The park management plans for each public park may be also needed.
Reports of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 19(4) 370-373, Mar 3, 2021
In recent years, the maintenance and management of plazas have been promoted towards revitalizing the central area. The purpose of this study is to clarify the characteristics and issues of three types of management form (designated manager system, outsourced management, and self-management) and to suggest a guideline for selecting a sustainable management form of plazas. This study focused on five plazas in Kansai region, and conducted a hearing survey with the local government and managers. Based on the survey results, three types of management form were analyzed from the perspective of location, role, and cost. This study suggests that it is important to clarify the images of plaza and to select a management form that is suitable to the local conditions.
Reports of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 18(4) 394-397, Mar 5, 2020
In growing cities, the pressure of urbanisation is threatening traditional allotment gardens. The City of Berlin revised its Allotment Garden Development Plan (KEP) in 2019 to respond to the emerging demand for potential construction land due to the rapidly increasing population. This article reports how the KEP changed to discuss an effective way of balancing conservation of urban gardening spaces with the demand for urban development. While the previous KEP focused mostly on the existing legal zoning system to secure allotment gardens, the new KEP used statistical and spatial analysis to elaborate on the significance of allotment gardens. Furthermore, the renewed categorisation system for allotment gardens shows more explicitly whether each garden site should be secured or can be developed. In summary, Berlin’s KEP became a more data-driven plan and shows development possibility clearly.
Reports of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 18(4) 284-287, Mar 5, 2020
In recent years, greening activities of local residents are active. For example, a system for citizen’s flower bed was established with the aim of making a contribution to beautify the local environment and to create communities in Kobe in 1962. There are 735 groups which use the system now and consist of local residents. This study analyzed the situation for continuous greening activities by hearing survey and questionnaire to activity people. As a result, the following three points were revealed. First, they find doing rewarding to interaction with passer. Second they needs to solving their problem of activities shortage and aging. Third, they find how to do stress free work against damaged flower beds. This study suggest that these are important for ongoing activities.
Reports of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 18(4) 307-310, Mar 5, 2020
The purpose of this study is to clarify the current achievements and issues, focusing on whether the deregulation of development restrictions in urbanization control areas has led to sustainable town development, taking the case of the special designated area system in Hyogo Prefecture as an example. The study shows that the Specially Designated Zoning System is functioning as a deregulation of development restrictions within the urbanization control area, as new buildings were found in Ono City, the target of the survey. On the other hand, it indicates that the system does not function sufficiently to solve problems in the urbanization control area because it is not said that it has influenced development trends, and there is no particular effect on the unoccupied house problem that is considered to be more serious in the future.
Reports of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 18(1) 92-97, Jun 6, 2019
This research aims to clarify the actual situation of the cities which had taken actions in the face of population decrease in Germany. The paper focused on a problem from the side of government, specifically, "Restructuring of living environment ", "Profit utilization in vacant lots and houses" and "The way of civic collaboration ". Reviews of the literatures and interviews in the cities found the following: The city planning for population decrease was made by switching technique and idea of the conventional plan. Additionally, the system which promoted vacant lots and houses use were created, it contributed to the improvement in potential attraction of the city. These efforts were given full weight to discussions with citizen.
Reports of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 16(4) 290-293, Mar 9, 2018
This study deals with reconstruction of regional core area in regional hub city whose feature is car dependent and the core in the regional before merger. According to questionnaire at Kannabe Kawakita and Kawaminami, Fukuyama, three points were revealed. First, this area is car dependent area. However, even though they cannot use own cars, it does not affect their everyday life so seriously. Second, there is not statistically significant relations between positiveness of regional activities and level of existing satisfaction. Third, the residents request realistic reconstruction such as safety roads. The study shows that in similar area, it will be greatly important to strike a balance between residents needs and medium and long term planning theory in the future.
本稿は修士論文のための研究ノートである.広島県府中市は平成27年現在,人口が約4.0万人と小規模であるにもかかわらず工業都市として発展してきた.その一方で,用途地域と絡む農住工混在問題を抱えている.これは,高度経済成長期の発展が大都市圏の産業集積地と異なっていることに加えて,準工業地域の規制の緩さや指定面積の範囲などに起因すると考えられる.しかし,筆者らの既往研究に基づくと,農住工混在は住民側の意見として,生活上の問題と捉えられておらず,むしろ生活空間の一部として受け入れられているように思われた.そこで,府中市内でも準工業地域に農住工混在地域としてみなされる高木町・中須町・広谷町・鵜飼町をケーススタディ対象地として現地踏査を行った.
今回の調査を通じて,住工混在で生じる住環境問題が農地によって軽減されていることが示唆されるとともに,これを客観的に評価し,適切な土地利用を構想することが求められる.
This Report is a Research Note for a Master Thesis. Fuchu City in Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of about 40 thousand and it has developed into an industrial city. However, the city has a significant problem: ”Farming-Dwelling-Industrio-Districts” (Mixed Land Use of 3 types). Maybe, it was because of rapid economic growth and a Quasi-industrial Zone that permitted to anything to be built (except it is fraught with hazards and it is produced environmental pollutants) and others. Speaking as citizen, that problem is nothing new. Considering the importance of people and living space, we decided to do a site reconnaissance at the Quasi-industrial Zone (Hirotani, Ukai, Takagi, Nakazu).
This time, we found that Farming Place is given a comfortable dwelling environment and seen very important zone (Buffer Zone). This view is low on evidence. Hence, we should research a hypothesis in an objective manner ongoingly and make the concept of ideal Land Use.