Abstract
The purpose of this research is to report the results of preliminary analyses on the spatial shrinking of Keihanshin metropolitan area. The focused topics are the changes in commuting flows and population distribution in the Keihanshin metropolitan area from 1990 to 2010. In the Keihanshin metropolitan area，there is little change in the number of the municipalities where the ratio of commuters to the central cities (Kyoto，Osaka and Kobe) exceeded 5%. On the contrary，more than 10% of the commuting zones of the central cities have been shrunk，especially above the 30% zone. From the regression analyses on the relations between the distances and ratio of commuters to the central cities，it was confirmed that the hypothetical urban fringe has come closer to central cities. In addition，from the applications of the Clark model to the population redistribution，a shift from decentralization to reconcentration was confirmed and the distance to the hypothetical urban fringe has decreased. These results clearly show the spatial shrinking of the Keihanshin metropolitan area. The analyses of population redistribution also suggest that there exists a mosaic pattern of population redistribution. In other words，regions of higher density record population growth and regions of lower density experience population decline regardless of the distances from central cities. Detailed investigation of the relationships between the changes in commuting flows and population redistribution， social conditions affecting the decision-making processes of individuals and families，and the relevance of the above mentioned results to the discussions of shrinking cities needs to be attempted in future research.
https://ror.org/05wr49d48 
