A Study on the Acceptance of Tadashi Higasaʼs Community Concept among Urban Planners: ―日笠端の言説に着目して―

Abstract

This study examines the level of acceptance of the “community” concept and its application by urban planners in postwar Japan. It specifically analyzes the community discourse propounded by a leading Japanese urban planner, Tadashi Higasa (1920-1997). After sketching his biography, it presents a review of his research activities at the Department of Urban Planning, Ministry of Construction, and the Department of Urban Engineering at the University of Tokyo. In addition, the development, practical application, and acceptance of Higasa’s community concept are analyzed. Based on the findings of the analysis, two key points are clarified. First, Higasa’s community concept can be seen to have been strongly influenced by community concepts within sociology. Second, within the domain of urban planning research, acceptance of Higasa’s community concept and its practical applications are evident within community and residential district planning. While conforming to the community concept within sociology, Higasa postulated his own theory of community considered within the framework of urban planning. While not neglecting the notion of community based on human life, he sought to integrate the community concept within practical and tangible urban planning. In conclusion, the findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of how Higasa’s successors in the field of urban planning related to his community concept and to a rethinking of the community concept among Japanese sociologists.