Abstract
Function consolidation and guidance toward core areas is progressing nationwide through location optimization plans. And in recent years, the need for compact city policies at the regional city area level has increased. In order to promote compact city policies at the regional city area level, it is necessary to focus on urbanization control areas, which also have the aspect of being “areas where development should be restricted,” as well as non-planned areas. These areas also include the centers of former municipalities and existing settlements with a certain degree of population and functionality, and some municipalities are positioning these areas as arbitrary bases in their location optimization plans. In this study, we elucidate the actual status of core areas of urbanization control areas and non-planned areas and we examine the sustainability of its core areas based on urban environment and resident awareness, therefore obtaining suggestions for the future formation and maintenance of its core areas. Specifically, (1) categorize the original core areas in location optimization plans by focusing on the urban environment, and (2) elucidate resident awareness according to its categorization. As a result, in convenient core areas, residents’ perception of the town, settlement intention, and residential satisfaction were a positive outlook, and a certain degree of sustainability of core areas was observed. On the other hand, in inconvenient core areas, resident awareness was a negative outlook. Therefore, it was shown that the core areas are at risk of decline, such as a decrease in the number of users of the core area’s functions due to future population outflow in terms of resident awareness.
