A Study of the Impact that Roads that Politicians Worked to Open Had on the Local Area

Analysis of Nachikatsuura-Shingu Road

Abstract

In Japan, politicians have promoted infrastructure development in rural areas in order to revitalize the local economy. In this analysis, we examined the impact of the opening of highways on local communities from the perspective of demographics. Using regional grid data, we plotted demographics in areas surrounding highways. As a result, we found that areas surrounding highways have seen an influx of population and a suppression of the trend toward population decline compared to other areas. However, this trend was not uniformly confirmed in all areas, and we also confirmed that there were differences between areas.