Considerations on the Restriction of Large-Scale Commercial Facilities Development in Suburban Areas
Disregard of Public Opinion: And Then Shoppers Never Came
2006 Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 32-46
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2006 Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 32-46
1. In debate concerning community development, the essential issues for discussion are: What is a community? What does community development mean? Where are the central city areas? A community is a place where people live and get together, and community development is the creation of such places. The people who live in a community are the key stakeholders. This is because the problem of deteriorating central city areas comes down to the fact that the area's residents are no longer choosing these former central city areas as places to spend money and consume goods. It is therefore essential to incorporate the views of the public in the debate.
2. Locations of “communities” have moved from areas along main roads to those near train stations and then to the suburbs. Technological advancement has produced new means of transportation, caused changes in where people live, and transformed people's perception of convenient and pleasant locations. The deterioration of former central city areas, which is occurring across Japan, is a result of the same mechanism of change. Former central city areas are in decline because ofthe way they are internally structured and because of the lack of adequate overall management. Public opinion must be incorporated in these spheres.
3. The recent revision of related laws is characterized by a shifting of blame and a complete disregard of public opinion, amounting to a detrimental change of historic proportions. The revised laws shift the blame for the lack of consumer traffic in central city areas onto large-scale commercial facilities and sets out measures to restrict competition. This undermines the everyday convenience of local residents and gives no consideration to their wishes.
4. Community development must be undertaken by the municipalities based on their own city planning, incorporating the opinions of residents. Intervention by prefectural, city, and neighboring municipal governments should be kept to a minimum. In community development, it is essential to put in place measures to structurally reform existing central city areas and bring about change in the stakeholders themselves. The key is to promote community regeneration.
5. When advances in industrial technology cause major societal shifts, misjudgments are often made in responding to such shifts because of the extremely strong opposition of those who refuse to accept change. It is essential to embrace change and not reject it. New value can only be created where there is change.
6. Arguments and assertions that seem to be calling outright for regulation of the supply and demand of commercial capacity have been gaining ground. They are being made under the pretext of vague and ambiguous concepts such as “the building of compact cities” and “community development and the regional community.” How much longer does the government intend to protect places that local residents do not support? Further debate on this issue is needed.
