States and Prospects of Civic Movements in Livable Community Planning

Cases in Japan, England and United States

Abstract

In Japan a growing interest in livable environment and community is now finding its way in the formation of various civic trusts as its effective implementation tools; for example, the civic trust in Sakura city (Chiba prefecture), originated in 1983 and others. This paper deals with the current civic movements in community planning activities in Japan, and analysis of relevant two cases in developed countries; “Civic trust” in England, and “Partners for Livable Places” in the United States. Some comparison and estimation of the Japanese movements are shown in reference to these cases.