ID :
76845
Tue, 08/25/2009 - 16:34
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/76845
The shortlink copeid
Japan to Promote "Compact Cities"
Tokyo, Aug. 25 (Jiji Press)--Japan will promote "compact cities"
through subsidies and other steps to address the so-called hollowing out of
regional cities--population losses and falling social and business
activities in city centers, government officials told Jiji Press on Monday.
The land ministry aims to start in fiscal 2010 a new system for
creating compact cities, an idea aimed at reinvigorating declining cities by
transferring overly dispersed public facilities such as hospitals and
nursing-care homes into city centers.
Municipalities hoping to use the system will devise revitalization
programs for such cities that experience growing suburban development in
line with increasing auto use. The central government will provide subsidies
to help cover the costs to relocate public facilities and refurbish
commercial and other urban space that has remained unused.
Also planned are tax breaks, including cuts in real estate sales
gains taxes, for transactions that will be involved in the transfer of such
public facilities.
The ministry also envisions grants to improve transport
infrastructure in city centers. Grants will be provided to municipalities
that will build parking lots, open space, elevated walkways and other
facilities around their core railway stations and bus terminals.
The central government's existing measures to revitalize city
centers in regional areas have focused on steps to restrict openings of
large suburban commercial facilities and revitalize shrinking shopping
streets with a lot of vacant space due to shutdowns of mom-and-pop shops,
the officials said.
The upcoming compact city support steps will be different in that
they focus on supporting the concentration of public facilities crucial to
families with elderly people and young children, with auto use not supposed,
the officials said.
There are two or three cities with a population of around 300,000
and one city with a population of around 100,000 where the compact city
initiative seems particularly effective, they said.
END
through subsidies and other steps to address the so-called hollowing out of
regional cities--population losses and falling social and business
activities in city centers, government officials told Jiji Press on Monday.
The land ministry aims to start in fiscal 2010 a new system for
creating compact cities, an idea aimed at reinvigorating declining cities by
transferring overly dispersed public facilities such as hospitals and
nursing-care homes into city centers.
Municipalities hoping to use the system will devise revitalization
programs for such cities that experience growing suburban development in
line with increasing auto use. The central government will provide subsidies
to help cover the costs to relocate public facilities and refurbish
commercial and other urban space that has remained unused.
Also planned are tax breaks, including cuts in real estate sales
gains taxes, for transactions that will be involved in the transfer of such
public facilities.
The ministry also envisions grants to improve transport
infrastructure in city centers. Grants will be provided to municipalities
that will build parking lots, open space, elevated walkways and other
facilities around their core railway stations and bus terminals.
The central government's existing measures to revitalize city
centers in regional areas have focused on steps to restrict openings of
large suburban commercial facilities and revitalize shrinking shopping
streets with a lot of vacant space due to shutdowns of mom-and-pop shops,
the officials said.
The upcoming compact city support steps will be different in that
they focus on supporting the concentration of public facilities crucial to
families with elderly people and young children, with auto use not supposed,
the officials said.
There are two or three cities with a population of around 300,000
and one city with a population of around 100,000 where the compact city
initiative seems particularly effective, they said.
END
