Strategies Coping with Shrinkage of Small Towns in Japan: Case Study of Kamishihoro in Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract

How to develop small towns in underdeveloped areas has been a key problem in the process of urbanization in China, more and more small towns are facing shrinking problems, with population declining and vitality losing. This article tries to clarify the specific strategies and significance through case study on a small town in Hokkaido, which has been undergoing such problems for a long time. In a planning era of population decline, the local government carried out a series of measures including the relocation of public housing from the suburbs to the center to inducing population migration, reduction and utilization of vacant housing strategy, compact city strategies attempting to “smart shrink” the spread city. This adaptive way of coping with shrinkage has some enlightenment for the optimization of the stock of underdeveloped small towns in China. Small towns should pay attention to the integration of urban and rural development, improve the compactness of the city, and improve the city's livability. 关键词: 小城镇;人口减少;日本公营住宅;城乡一体化;存量优化