Development of Urban Planning and Expansion of the City Area in Modern Sendai: The Concept and Reality of Construction of “Greater Sendai”

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships of urban planning and expansion of the city area in Sendai, while focusing on the trends of surrounding towns and villages. The main purpose of urban planning in Sendai was urbanization and industrialization of surrounding areas, and the city area expanded in response to this development. The first expansion targeted the same area as the previously designated urban planning area, in order to capture the area required for the latest urban planning. On the other hand, the second and third expansions were performed in response to requests from neighboring villages. Underlying this difference, the development of urban planning made the surrounding areas aware of the benefits of urban planning and city expansion, fostering a sense of competition in these areas. In addition, urban planning provided a consistent basis for asserting the need for city expansion, and its role was emphasized in the second and third expansions, in which mergers were not imminently needed. Thus, expectations continued to grow for “Greater Sendai” through urban planning and city expansion; however, urban planning projects were frequently subject to delays. These observations show that modern urban planning in Sendai showcased the vision of construction of “Greater Sendai,” more than the role of the technology used to modify the actual urban space, and that city expansion complemented oft-delayed urban planning by establishing a concrete area for development of “Greater Sendai.”