Future Projection of Accessibility to Hospital Beds in the Northern Osaka Metropolitan Area

Abstract

This paper examines a possible transformation and the problems of accessibility to hospital beds in northern metropolitan Osaka by analyzing accessibility by the two-step floating catchment area method and evaluating current urban planning. Investigation of current urban planning identifies the following two critical requirements for improving accessibility to medical facilities and nursing homes: promotion of cooperation between planning implemented by each municipality and specialized medicine/health policies that target broader areas beyond individual municipalities, and the continuation of a flexible and critical examination into the validity of current urban planning by each municipality.