What is a compact city : as the case study of Toyama City

In Italy, there are many small villages.  The small villages make much money because the villages boost their economy by making local crafts such as wine, bags, and furniture well-known.  These villages have succeeded in preventing population decline through a healthy circle of the economy. (Oomae, 3)  In Japan, however, it is stated about 900 cities will disappear in the future because of depopulation, so some cities prepare a plan in order to prevent their city from disappearing.  In fact, the Toyama City government has been promoting Toyama as a compact city, and while some policies achieved success as a compact city, other policies may well cause bad effects in the future.

     The number of cities which is aiming for the policies of a compact city is increasing and the aim will cause profitable effects.  (Aiba, 130)  The compact city policy has several origins. Generally,  a compact city is an urban form which has diverse functions in a small area relatively and attaches importance to mobility of walking.  (Aiba, 131)

     The policy first appeared in the late 1990s.  (Ooki, 4)   The compact city originally appeared in Europe.  (Ooki, 4)  The European Communities advocated that a compact city was an ideal city form first.  (Ooki, 4)  The EC criticized urban planning, which intended to expand the city, while they advocated the importance of traditional European cities.  The  traditional European city has high-density and was complex.  (Ooki, 4) Many geographers published books about the compact city, and they continue to discuss this topic even today.  Although the EC started discussing about the compact city since the 1990s, Japan only started to discuss it seriously from 2003.  (Ooki, 5)

     There are some reasons why so many cities aim at being a compact city.  First, the compact city can prevent population decline. Cities had expanded into the outskirts of the city because of the influence of economic growth and population growth.  Nowadays, however, population is decreasing, so civic expansion is not a valuable way to develop the cities.  (Aiba, 9)  The policy needed to be changed.  Population decline influenced society seriously, and then it caused many problems such as vacant land, uncultivated farmland and communities at their limits.  Changing expansion into reduction was called for, and the government had to remake an urban form.  It is difficult to stop population decline immediately, but the city form can change.  The first thing governments needed to do was to make the city form useful for a small population.  (Aiba, 9)  After that, the government should start expanding again, gradually.  According to Japanese geographer, Shin Aiba, 52.1% of the population of the world live in a city.  In Japan, however, 91.3% of the population of Japan live in a city, and Japanese population decline is the first social phenomenon of its kind in the world because it happens under these circumstances.

     Another reason why cities aim at being a compact city is to improve the cycle of the economy and become a place in the community where many people gather can develop its industry.  (Kaidou,5)  It is easy to secure a labor force in a city.  Second, it is expected that consumer demand will be increasing.  If the industry develops, the cycle of the economy is improved.  Also, if the city expands, the area, which the government supervises, expands, too.  It indicates that the costs related to water and roads will increase.  The government cannot keep up with only tax revenues because the population is decreasing today.

    There are some cities which were able to experience beneficial effects through the compact city.   Aomori City was one of the cities in Japan where the policy could achieve success.   Aomori  City is the capital of Aomori Prefecture.  The city has a population of about 320,000 and the city area is 824 square kilometers.  According to the official site of Aomori City, the city is one of the cities with the world’s heaviest snowfall.  The government spends considerable cost removing snow from the streets.  The road length from which the government should remove snow has increased to about 230 kilometers in 2005.  It equals the length of the national highway between Aomori City and Fukuoka City.  If the city becomes much bigger, the cost of removing snow and the maintenance of water and sewage services will increase.  In addition, if large shopping centers and public facilities are constructed on the outskirts, development will damage the environment there.  These are the reasons why Aomori City adopted the compact city policy.

     The government redeveloped the area around the station. They built “Auga” which is a redeveloped building.  The government started to manage the parking areas around Auga.  Multi-purpose halls and meeting rooms were created in the Auga.  Moreover, libraries which had been located on the outskirts of the city were moved to Auga.  Auga was opened by the government in 2001.  According to the data published by the government, about 6 million people visit Auga annually.  Auga is one of the busiest facilities in the city centre.  According to Yasuhiro Kobayashi, Professor of Economics at Hirosaki University, people who visit the city centre are increasing as the city centre has recovered its energy. 

     Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany has also been carrying out a policy similar to the compact city policy.  The area of the city is 153 square kilometers, and the population is about 200,000.  In the 1970s, Freiburg suffered from some environmental problems.  For example, some forests were damaged by acid rain.  Moreover, a nuclear power plant was going to be built near Freiburg.  People in Freiburg criticized it and ran a campaign to prevent the construction of the nuclear power plant.  This was the trigger of becoming an eco-friendly city.  (The EcoTipping Points Project)  According to the report published in 2013 by Infrastructure Innovation Institute Inc., Freiburg was designated as an Eco-Friendly City since the city received favorable grades in the Environment City Contest.

     One of the reasons why Freiburg could be an Eco-Friendly City is that the government improved the system of transportation.  Nowadays, in Freiburg, the trams run between 5 a.m. and midnight, and seventy percent of the inhabitants can access the station within five minutes.  Also, the buses run between 6 a.m. and midnight.  Ninety-five percent of the inhabitants can access the nearest station or bus stop in five minutes.  The government pays for the costs of the railway, site, and the equipment for trains or buses.  The public just has to pay pay for operating costs.  Moreover, the government maintains bicycle parking areas, and 9,000 bicycles can be parked in the bicycle parking spaces.

     As a result, Freiburg got not only environmental profits but also economic profits.  Many people visit the city annually as it is easy for tourists to move around in the city.  In addition, many foreign inspection teams came to the city because they wanted to know how to become an Eco-Friendly city.  Freiburg is the one of the most advanced environmental cities.  (The EcoTipping Points Project)

    There are some reasons why Toyama City become a compact city.  The number of tram users was decreasing, and the government wants to prevent further user decline.   The area of Toyama City is 1,241 square kilometers and the population is about 400,000, according to the data announced by the government in 2013.  The government conducted a survey called “Person Trip Investigation”, in order to verify means of transportation. The survey indicates that in 1983, 50% of people walked or used a bicycle if they could go somewhere within five minutes, and 45% of people used a car in the same situation.  On the other hand, in 2000, 30% of people walked or used a bicycle in the same situation, and 70% of people used a car. While the number of people who use a car increased, the number of people who use public transportation.  Users of JR decreased by 17%, users of private railway decreased by 44% and users of tram decreased by 43% from 1998 to 2004. In the 1990s, about 20,000 people per day used a tram, but in the 2000s, about 10,000 people per day used a tram.  Toyama City adopted the compact city policy in order to prevent user decline.  When Toyama City adopted the policy, the number of tram users gradually started to increase.  Today, about 15,000 people per day use a tram.  This increase was not a major change, but it might be regarded as the result of the compact city policy.

     Another reason the compact city policy was adopted is that there are less pedestrians in central Toyama City than in the past.  I had the opportunity to discuss about the past of Toyama City with store owners of Sougawa street and Chuou street.  They unanimously explained that there were more people in the past.  They were not able to see forward very well while they were walking in the street.  According to the data published by the prefectural government, in the 1990s, about 100,000 people walked in the central area every holiday.  Whereas in 2015, only about 20,000 people walked in the central area every holiday.  Why did this happen?  One of the answers is suburbanization.  Many attractive facilities were built in the outskirts of the city recently.  For example Aeonmall was constructed in Tonami City and opened on July 14, 2015 according to the official site.  Also Costco was set up in Imizu City.  It opened on August 22, 2015.  Thus, people dispersed.  Unfortunately, people who went to the outskirts have not yet come back to the central area.  (Syoji, 2)  The government adopted the compact city policy owing to recover the energy of Toyama City.

  Although Toyama City can become a compact city, there are some problems. In Toyama, relatively, inhabitants depend on using cars as a means of transport, since there is an exceptional environment for them to drive easily.

     Nowadays, the number of owned motor vehicles per 1,000 people is 518 in Toyama.  Whereas in 1975, the number was 182.  The average number in the whole country is about 400 per 1,000 people.  The data explains more inhabitants of Toyama rely on their cars than in other areas.  (Kushnoki, 1)  Now 72.2% of people choose to use their own cars as a means of transport.  (Kusunoki, 2) 

     There are many causes of this phenomenon.  One reason is that some facilities which have the ability to attract people and consumers are built in the outskirts of the city.  Another reason is the road maintenance rate.  Road maintenance means the roads are maintained, and the roads are kept clean and flat.  Road maintenance rate of Toyama Prefecture is the highest in Japan.  The average of road maintenance in Japan is about 50 percent.  On the other hand, the rate in Toyama is 70 percent.(Kusunoki, 4)  People in Toyama prefer to drive their own cars rather than use public transportation because of this circumstance.

     From the early 2000s, Toyama City lost its vitality and attraction because of the hollowing of the central city.  In the past, the shopping street was practically full of pedestrians.  The huge population brought economic growth to the shopping street.  There used to be a tofu store in front of Toyama Shimin Plaza, for instance.  Although the store was small, it earned a large amount of money.  Probably, the stores cannot do the same thing now.  Also other stores cannot do that.  Another example is Seibu department store.   The department store was located in Sogawa street, and competed with Daiwa department.  Seibu department made an enormous profit.  Yet Seibu department was closed at the end of  March, in 2006.   The shopping street has lost its power.   Many residents recently go outside of the central city since attractive facilities are located outside of the city.  Costco, for example, has the ability to attract people.  The Toyama City government should have required that Costco be constructed in the central city in order to gather many people and recover the power of the city center.

    The government should not leave the problem as it is.  Every city has their own identity such as “sightseeing”, “hot spring”, “food” and “culture”.  The identity of Toyama City is weaker than other cities.  Kanazawa City is a city which has one of the strongest identities.  In the past,  Kanazawa was a castle town.  Toshiie Maeda who was a Japanese feudal lord, lived in Kanazawa Castle and led the town to prosperity.  (Yamade, 74)  Since then, Kanazawa had power.  Taking advantage of the city’s background, Kanazawa became a big city.  Kanazawa made use of the characteristics of the castle town, and profited.  Many people associate “Kanazawa” with being a “castle town”.  This is its identity.  On the contrary, in the case of Toyama City, the identity is not clear.  With the decrease in attractive facilities in the central city, it is difficult to prove its identity.  In short, the Toyama city government needs to recover the power, or Toyama City’s characteristics will disappear.

   Currently, it is stated that about 900 cities will disappear, and the advantages and disadvantages of compact city policy should be carefully considered.  Adopting the compact city policy, cities can be an eco-friendly city.  The world takes care of the environment today.  Many countries begin to sign the Paris Agreement which brings all nations into a common cause to undertake take ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so.  Eco-friendly cities, like a compact city, are demanded in the world.  Such eco-friendly cities can get subsidies.  This is a substantial advantage.  The subsidy could enable some small-scale towns like Toyama City to promote their own policies even if the city had financial difficulties.

     Moreover, a compact city is easy to live in.  Imagine that you lived in a compact city.  Once a person got on a train, he or she could easily go wherever he or she wanted.  Many attractive facilities such as hospitals, workplaces, and schools were concentrated in one area.  As few cars run the road, the air might be fresh.  The city would have a stable economy.  A person could get a good job and a good salary.  A lot of time is not needed for commuting.  This gives a person more time.  A person could live a free and easy life.  There are also many advantages from a government view point.  The government could prevent an aging population with a declining birthrate.  The government could keep down the expense of maintaining the city because the compact city is a small town.  Asking the government to pay unnecessary expenses is not needed.  These unnecessary expenses could change into a subsidy for parents who have children.  This might well lead parents to having another child.  This would be a good cycle.

     Of course, the compact city also has disadvantages.  The compact city might limit residents because there are many wonderful spots not only in the central city but also on the outskirts of the city.  If the government started the compact city , it will be difficult to live on the outskirts since the number of houses where people can live will decrease.  The twenty second article of the Japanese Constitution states: “Freedom of association, movement, and the choice of  abode are guaranteed to every person to the extent they do not conflict with the general welfare.”  Does the compact city policy really guarantee the right to choose where people live?  This is like “limited freedom”. 　In addition, the city which aims to be a compact city needs a lot of money.  Maintaining and installing public transportation is expensive.  In Japan, bigger cities such as Tokyo and Osaka have enough money, but not all cities are rich.  Some cities do not have enough money to promote the compact city policy.  Moreover the compact city policy does not always bring happiness.  The government cannot easily manage to raise revenue without clearly guaranteeing the success of the policy.  The government would have a debt although the compact city policy started. This is a considerable risk, and a sizable disadvantage.  Most governments may feel fear about it.

     According to the Japanese government, about 900 cities will disappear, but will the compact city policy save Toyama City?  Japan is an aging society with fewer children.  Because of it, each local government cannot manage their district in a hurry.  The decreasing number of people will bring fiscal difficulty.  According to the Japan Policy Council, about 900 cities will disappear in 2040.  The Japanese government is concerned with the concentration of all aspects of Japanese society such as culture, economy and politics in Tokyo.  In addition, an online article (“Nikkei newspaper”, 2014) reported the population of about 500 cities will be less than 10,000 in 2040 and actually, Toyama City is included in the list of cities which may disappear.

     The compact city policy may save Toyama City.  The policy needs much money, but today Toyama City is paid attention to by people all over the world these days.  Many organizations provide Toyama City a subsidy.  Some organizations made a business tie-up with Toyama City.  The well-known Rockefeller Foundation came to Toyama City and conducted an inspection.  The present circumstance is convenient for Toyama City.  The timing is suitable to promote the compact city policy.  No pain, No gain.  The compact city policy’s success does not appear immediately.  Concluding today whether the compact city will save Toyama City or not is too early.  It is going to take a long time to realize the outcome.

    In conclusion, though compact city is bolstered by the Toyama City government these days, the policy includes not only positives but also negatives.

     The compact city policy is attractive, so many cities have adopted the policy.  Some of the cities which adopted the compact city policy are valuable examples for Toyama City and there are reasons why Toyama City adopted the compact city policy.  However, because there are some problems related to the policy, the advantages and disadvantages of a compact city should be carefully considered before implementation.

     The lyrics of the folk song,”Bear Went Over the Mountain” state: the bear went over the mountain. To see what he could see and all that he could see was the other side of the mountain.  These lyrics express a different of thinking which Americans have.  Although they manage to solve difficult problems, they do not expect to profit.  Japanese should also have this way of thinking and continue their policy once they decide to promote it.  It is difficult for the government to change Toyama City.  The result of compact city policy will not be reflected immediately.  Currently Toyama City is experiencing difficult circumstances.  However, the government must continue the compact city policy while hoping the compact city may save Toyama City.

References

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