2022 年 52 巻 2 号 p. 231-254
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of rooftop farms in megacities such as Tokyo, making use of the “rooftop” space unlike conventional urban agriculture that relies mainly on farmland. Rooftop farms (RTFs) attract attention not only as a stable food supply, but also for responding to the diverse needs of urban residents. On the other hand, as a relatively new form of urban agriculture, RTFs face many problems and may not be able to fulfill their expected roles. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey on the involvement and evaluation of RTFs mainly among the residents of Tokyo, and clarified various issues for promoting RTFs. In addition, we introduced Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to the results of the questionnaire survey to clarify urban resident perceptions and involvement in urban agriculture and their evaluation of the expected functions of RTFs.
From the results of the analysis, it became clear that rooftop farms can meet the needs of urban residents for agricultural experience and communication creation in large cities where land resources are limited while at the same time influencing their level of satisfaction with their lives. On the other hand, it also became clear that the percentage of the residents that experienced RTF were small, but the satisfaction of those who experienced it was high. This indicates problems in the spread of rooftop farms in Tokyo. Therefore, in order to achieve sustainable development of cities, the factors that hinder the spread of urban agriculture (including rooftop farms), and the design policies and institutional measures to eliminate them need to be clarified.
JEL Classification:Q01