2024 Volume 80 Issue 1 Article ID: 23-00156
Collective relocation was implemented in the tsunami-affected areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake, which have been experiencing an aging population. While the collective relocation has improved safety from tsunamis, it is presumed that the lives of elderly residents have undergone significant changes in terms of accessibility to essential living facilities and workplaces. This paper aims to reveal the impact of collective relocation, undertaken in the context of promoting the separation of work and residential area, on the pedestrian living environment of elderly relocation participants. This assessment was conducted using a walking accessibility analysis, which examined the accessibility from the collective relocation complex to the nearest living and working facilities. The analysis revealed that 1) many residents who participated in the government-led-type collective relocation moved from an area which were within their walkable distance, to city center areas which are no longer in their walkable distance. On the other hand, many residents who participated in council-type moved from area which originally were not in their walkable distance, to suburban areas with farther walking distance. 2) In addition, living facilities withdrew from suburban and rural areas to higher ground and inland areas, while residences were sprawled on higher ground throughout the city. This suggests that residences, certain living facilities, and livelihood facilities became more distant, potentially affecting the pedestrian living environment of elderly relocation participants.
