Evaluation of the Efficiency and its Movement of Open Spaces of Edo Town for Fire Prevention

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify the intension of the establishment of hiyokechi, a fire-break open spaces of Edo Town, through actually evaluating the function for fire prevention and its movement of them in a time series. As a result, it was confirmed that the followings. Most of fire-break open spaces of Edo town have enough efficiency for preventing a fire at the fist stage. Among these open spaces, especially the ones connecting with canals or waters have enough efficiency for large-scale fire prevention. And the functions for fire prevention of the fire-break open spaces of An-ei period are most efficient and they tend to continue to exist afterwards. Therefore, one may say that the previous related studies result that the understanding to the fire-break open spaces function for fire prevention was established in this period was also supported in the aspect of spatial function. However the fire-break open spaces with enough efficiency for fire prevention are restricted to establish at the places for preventing spreading fire to Edo castle. It was substantiated that the intension of the establishment of the fire-break open spaces in An-ei and An-sei periods had been specialized to the purpose to prevent the spreading fire to Edo castle.