In Japan there is so much agricultural land in suburban area. For long time this land has been thought as the source of supply for urbanizing use. But owners of this land(They are farmers.) have to get their money from this land. So, in this area to make good environment for residence it is important to think this land not only as the source of supply for urbanizing use but also as the place for farmers to live. Landscape Archtects should take part in the community development in this area, because they are the only city planning specialists who can understand farmers’ sense more easily than civil engineers and architects can. In this work the Agriculture and Housing Cooperative Association System is very efficient.

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Urban fringe landscapes can metaphorically be called a mirror that clearly reflects the character of society. Urban fringe landscapes of American cities, commonly known as edge cities, clearly represent the success in American capitalism which dominated the world in the 20th century, while slums in the fringe of Asian cities have been the symbol of conflicts brought on by capitalism. What characterizes modern urban fringe landscapes is the fact that lands have also been regarded as commodities which can be mass-produced, consumed and wasted, without having any relationship to vernacular bio-physical and social characteristics of the area. Urban fringe landscapes can therefore be named as “container-plant landscapes”, which can easily be produced, consumed or replaced by other landscapes. However, with the rapidly growing concerns on the environment, urban fringe landscapes in the 21st century should be restored so as to realize a green, sustainable, and compact city. Vernacularity in terms of bio-physical and social characteristics should be carefully examined and reflected in the planning of urban fringe landscapes.

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The conversion of agricultural land to other uses caused by rapid urbanization generates lots of serious problems. The aim of this paper was to analyze the general patterns of the changes in spatial structures in the urban fringe area of Metro Manila. Analysis was implemented using GIS data set and the result of field survey, then following findings were obtained. The indigenous pattern of land use was demolished by two types of development. And abandonment of agricultural land occurred during the process of developments.

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The aims of this study were 1) to clarify the purification function of an immersed plant, indian rice (makomo in Japanese: Zizania latifolia Trucz.) by monitoring the water-quality change in open-water and porewater, and 2) to estimate the possible amount of nutrient removal from river system by reaping Z. latifolia. The study area was selected in a small semi-natural river, the Juuroh-gawa River located in suburbs of Kohfu, Yamanashi. Water quality of open-water was measured at three points in the middle of the river course from upstream to downstream through a year, in whose intervals Z. latifolia were dominated along the river side. Porewater for the analysis were sampled in summer and winter from inside of Z. latifolia growing riverbeds and none-vegetation ones as contradistinctions, where water depth and flux were as similar as the former ones. In results, water quality of open-water had no change among three points; purification function of the species was not clear. In the result of porewater, however, total N was lower in Z. latifolia growing sites significantly than none-vegetation ones especially in summer. This means habitats of the species have purification function when the species grows. Additionally the maximum amount of nutrient absorption of the species was measured by analyzing the nutrient contents in the aboveground biomass reaped in summer when the growth is reached to the maximum. In the result, per cover area contents of N and P were 82 gNm^-2 and 26 gPm^-2 respectively. When the absorption rate during growing period was compared to other species after previous researches, these values were similar to the results of other immersed plants measured under field conditions. However, when the possible amount of nutrient removal from river system was estimated under the hypothesis that all individuals of the species growing within study area could be reaped and brought out from riverbeds, it was considered to be too low to purify all effluent loadings run into from the catchments area. It was concluded that Z. latifolia and its growing habitat have purification function, but it would be effective in the case just degree of eutrophication is low.

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The significance of biodiversity has been widely accepted in recent years. In this context ecological information are indispensable for regional landscape planning in both urban and rural areas. In the present study, we propose a procedure to estimate species distribution in a rural area using amphibians as materials. Estimation model of potential habitats was constructed based on the relationship between amphibian species composition and land attributes. The investigation of amphibians in 24 sites was performed in and around Mito city, central part of Ibaraki prefecture as a case study. The percentage of inhabitation of each species was calculated by the current situation of the amphibians in the investigation sites, and the 8 types of fauna composition were identified using TWINSPAN. Then, landform types and vegetation types were classified by GIS. And the discriminant function which classifies each fauna composition type was computed. In the first stage, it was divided into hilly areas and plateau/lowland areas by landform classification. Hilly areas are characterized by habitation of three amphibian species; Hynobius tokyoensis, Rana ornativentris and Rana rugosa. In the following stage, the more detailed division of each fauna composition type, which was explained mostly by the present situation of Hyla japonica, Rhacophorus schlegelii and Bufo japonicus formosus was possible by using vegetation classification. The discrimination ratios of predicted inhabitation were between 65 - 86 %. We calculated the potential habitation possibility of amphibian species in the non-investigated area using the obtained distinction function formula. The map of the predicted habitat of amphibians was created about 840 km² of the case study area with a grid cell of about 1km around. In addition, verifying investigation was conducted at 13 sites and the validity of the predicted potential habitat map was accepted. By establishing a series of research flows for the prediction technique, the application of a broader-scale landscape planning was attained.

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The city planning of Shiroishi Park and the city planning implementation were decided in 1942. The characteristics of the park featured the coherence of plan of scenic zone and park. Although the main purpose of the park was to utilize for sports and outdoor activities, the public farm was planned in the park on a large scale. Shiroishi was the biggest park of five city planning parks which were decided in 1942 and 1943 in Sapporo. However, the park project was suspended the last stage of war. In 1975, the project was re-started. But its size was very decreased.

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