Current Japanese land-use planning system is not a comprehensive system, divided into 5 separate independent sub-systems. Actually, there is no workable land-use planning nor control, especially in local small towns. The author reviews the general background and weakness of the Japanese land-use planning system, the effort of pioneering municipalities, and the possibility of municipal innovative planning system based on negotiation and public consultation. He also identifies some points on making workable system.

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The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for controlling land use on the Agriculture Promotion Areas Act. Our proposals are as follows.
1. It is important to manage rezoning from Agricultural Land Zone to “The Other Zone” in Agriculture Promotion Area. The rezoning system, however, is not established in Japan. So, local governments have to make rezoning ordinances for themselves.
2. Rezoning ordinances should contain regulations controlling the size and location of new development.
3. Rezoning ordinances will be more effective in controlling land use on the fringe of urban areas, if they are accompanied with the plan of new development and the exchange of lands.

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This paper deals with present situation and problem of the National Land Use Plan and the Land Use Master Plan provided by the National Land Use Planning Act from the point of view of rural conservation. The followings are discussed; 1) The due form of Municipal Land Use Plan which the National Government ordered is the obstruction for practical use of this planning system for the country conservation, 2) It is necessary to place the Municipal Land Use Concept Map in the planning system of National Land Use Plan clearly, 3) The matter demands the strong sense that the Municipal Land Use Plan should play an important part in rural conservation, 4) Essential problem to solve urban sprawl in the country is the reorganization of the planning system of the Land Use Master Plan, 5) It is necessary to reinforce the coordination of land use regulation by the Land Use Master Plan from the integrated viewpoint, across the boundaries of sectional interests.

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This paper deals with the Planning Ordinance relating to Green Conservation and Land Use Management, and examines how local goverments manage the ordinance and preserve forest and agricultural land. The study first reviews characteristic ordinances and analyzes thier controls. There are fundamental problems of keeping valuable greens, however, the effective ways to conserve are as follow;
1. environmental impact assessment at the prior consultation stage
2. co-work mechanism between development permission and more strict regulations
Zushi-city, one of the most strict development contorol area in Urbanized Promotionon Area, even though, the study found that the current system in Zushi can conserve a certain amount of greens, but quality of forest.

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The agricultural community areas in Kobe play an important role in the life of citizens as follows:
1) Stable supply of fresh, safe and high quality agricultural products,
2) Preservation and creation of a comfortable urban environment,
3) Creation of city's vitality,
4) Providing citizens with rest and recreational areas.
However agricultural community areas have had a tendency to decline in recent years due to changes in social conditions, changes in the circumstances surrounding agriculture and changes in intentions for land use and so on.
Therefore, the City of Kobe established the “Ordinance Concerning the Designation of People and Nature Coexistence Zones and Others” in April 1996.
It aims at creating active and attractive agricultural community areas, through the promotion of 1) a planning system for orderly land use, 2) building villages with active participation of local residents, 3) preserving and creating scenery and an environment only found in agricultural communities, 4) developing the agricultural industry, and 5) exchange between urban and rural areas.
It suppllies new comprehensive regional measures to conserve and promote agricultural community areas by combining land use restrictions based on the ordinance and regional planning decided upon by local residents.

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At present, the urban area is spreading in disorder. At the same time, the central district is declining. These issues arise from weakness of land-use control in the suburbs. So the urban planning has taken measures by zoning and master plan before now. But these control techniques cause earnings differentials landowners from each geographical conditions. Therefore I think it desirable to choose the negotiated development technique under the planning code.

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The Washington State adopted the Growth Management Act in response to the traffic congestion in this region in 1990. King County which is the biggest county in Washington State manages urban growth according to the state act. The purpose of this paper is to examine how King County manages the land use comprehensively. First we reveal the character of Growth Management Act of Washington state, then reveal the structure of land use planing in King County and finally consider for the “Comprehensiveness” of the planning system in King County.

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