2024 Volume 11 Pages 208-226
The population is currently facing a significant decline in Japan, which is expected to continue in the long-term. In response, many local governments and municipalities are designing and strategizing towards an integrated and collaborative urban structure. In this context, peripheral farmland emerges as a crucial open space within the urban matrices, which needs to be conserved and utilized in a sustainable way. These urban farmlands are utilized as valuable open space, and their multifunctionality is attracting the attention of future city planners. However, an aging farming population and a dwindling number of farmers are intensifying the challenges of farmland maintenance and management. As a result of the demographic shifts, the designation of productive green areas are increasing and making it difficult to manage them sustainably. On the other hand, the demands of city residents are diversifying, such as increased demand for urban agriculture and disaster prevention areas. This necessitates a design framework for managing and using urban farmlands. Therefore, this research proposed a framework for designing urban open and green spaces. The study focused on urban agriculture and its potential for sustainability and usability. Firstly, the land available for urban agriculture was analyzed and mapped using GIS, population mesh data and interviews. Secondly, surveys and statistical information were used to calculate the demand for urban agriculture by individual user attributes. Then spatial distribution of the demand was mapped. Thirdly, a framework was constructed based on the results of the supply and demand analysis. This framework compares and evaluates the demand and supply of urban agriculture and matches them step by step.
