Kotsu machizukuri - Chiho Toshi karano Chosen (Transportation Planning for Livable Cities: based on new movements in local cities)

It is a fundamental desire to enjoy a livable life in a city that is both creative and easy to live in. However, in the real world, local cities have problems such as shutter shopping streets, shopping refugees, and lonely elderly people.
 
This book summarizes ideas and examples of “Transportation planning for livable cities (TPLC)” as a new approach toward addressing this situation based on discussions of initiatives that are already showing results in local cities.
 
TPLC was born from a shift in the way of thinking. Instead of responding only to immediate transport problems as was done in the past, it is recommended to solve transport problems by thinking of ways to create a city that is both creative and easy to live in. It is necessary to shift from the separation of town development and transportation planning to the integration of both factors. It is desirable to discuss the vision of a livable town, share it with citizens, and realize a vision in cooperation with the government, companies, and citizens.
 
This book consists of four parts. Part I explains what TPLC is and offers a historical background. Part II discusses four viewpoints that are required to understand practice as the theory of TPLC: 1) establishing a vision with a consensus, 2) innovative survey and analysis method, 3) institutional reform, and 4) training the leaders of the TPLC. Part III takes up nine cities/towns including Utsunomiya City and Kanazawa City and introduces their distinctive efforts as best practices in TPLC. Part IV presents directions for future studies on TPLC. The chapter also adopts eight enclosed articles to explain the important aspects of TPLC.
 
This book was completed as a result of active discussions between transport researchers and practitioners who wish to contribute to the realization of a city that is creative and easy to live in, as part of a subcommittee of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers. It has powerful content put together by 20 authors. Harata, who was the leader of the subcommittee, serves as the editor.
 
I would like young people, who are interested in realizing a city that is creative and easy to live in, to read this book. I hope efforts toward implementing TPLC will spread to more cities.
 

(Written by HARATA Noboru, Professor, School of Engineering / 2018)