Abstract
In order to realise a vibrant living space that encourages active community participation, it is necessary to reexamine the significance of the personal use of public spaces by residents. Rapid developments since the 1970s has transformed Motomachi district in Urayasu City of Chiba prefecture from a fishing village to a suburban residential area. Back when Motomachi was a fishing village, communal outdoor spaces were shared by residents. Today, residents make personal use of public spaces. This paper categorises the study areas into subareas with distinct characteristics that developed through the changes in space and the use of space since its days as a fishing village. This paper then examines the causes and significance of the personal use of public spaces of each area. The result shows possibility that some cases of personal use of public spaces can be interpreted as inheritance of space utilization and relationship between space and society which enables it, continuing from when Motomachi was a fishing village.
