干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Japan's aging society and shrinking population are leading to serious problems, including a declining level of community vitality in most of Japan's secondary cities. Structural changes in Japan's population are expected to continue for the near future, making sustainable urban design and renovation more important than ever. Proper urban design must seek and evaluate the relevant social information. This research presents a typical case study using a new information evaluation method, the Geographic Information System (GIS), against the background of an aging and shrinking society. It is carried out in Yahatahigasi-ku, a ward in the city of Kitakyusyu, Japan. The ward's land is characterized by steep slopes, which are inconvenient for aged people and reduce their outdoor mobility. Moreover, most of the ward's houses are over 30 years old, the average lifespan for houses in Japan. The quality of the houses is inadequate to the demands of modern life, perhaps explaining the area's inability to retain its youth. As a result, the shopping districts of Yahatahigasi-ku, prosperous in the 1950s and 1960s, are declining in proportion to the number of deserted houses This research explores GIS design approaches as configured for an aging society. It discusses the important factors that flow into an urban design meant to address a declining population, such as the plot ratio, the mixing of commercial and residential spaces, and the placement of public facilities for the aged. The city planner must find the most suitable area for planning. Sustainable urban design requires that new elements be introduced into the traditional configuration; the constructional style of buildings in a mixed-use area will reflect the character of the district. This study considers the GIS urban planning method as a development of the GIS application. We see here the importance of geographic information to urban planning. This paper will exemplify the importance of sharing informational evaluations to the urban planning process. In this paper, a case study of Japan was investigated. It makes contribution on urban regeneration for aging society that also appropriate for cities outside Japan.