In this paper, data on the current situation and subsidy system of historical buildings in Kanazawa City has been collected. The data has been compared to other municipalities and their subsidy systems through surveys and the results analyzed. Opinions of professionals in renovation planning and refurbishing of historical buildings were also surveyed and analyzed. Furthermore, owners of historical buildings who renovated and utilize them have been interviewed in order to investigate their situation and point out possible problems of the financial aid system.
Although the support system of historical buildings of Kanazawa City has certain effects, it has various problems as well.
A big issue of the financial aid system is the time constraint. In Kanazawa, planning, negotiation and applications have to be done until the end of a fiscal year in September, but the construction can only start in the following fiscal year, which is in April. Furthermore, the duration of the construction must not exceed that fiscal year. From September to April, construction work cannot be done, and when it starts in April, specialized construction workers are hard to find. As a possible solution, the system in Kyoto City can be referred as an example, where it is possible to do start the subsidized construction works right after the approval of the subsidy in October, which furthermore may be done over the span of 2 whole fiscal years.
Another problem is that current criteria in order to receive financial aid for refurbishing projects is too strict, resulting in high refurbishing costs. By relaxing the current criteria or adding new support projects with looser criteria, it is possible to start renovation projects more easily, furthermore the city will be able to support a larger number of projects.
According to owners and utilizers of historical buildings, the distribution of proper information is a problem as well. There is a need in a useful system, that provides proper information and consultation. Public data on succeeded projects, help with concrete planning of preservation and utilization of historical buildings, as well as calculating the approximate costs of refurbishing projects are just a few of many necessities.
