ANALYSIS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS' MOVEMENTS FOR DAILY LIFE IN URBAN AREAS IN JAPAN

Abstract

In recent years, as Japan's urban population and the birthrate have declined as the population has aged, the number of vacant houses in urban centers has increased. This increase in house vacancy is an urban problem that is difficult to solve using conventional town and transportation planning methods. In particular, about local transportation, the number of elderly people who have difficulty traveling is increasing as public transportation services are being cut due to profitability issues. The purpose of this study was to clarify the issues affecting local transportation in daily life. The analysis considered residents' evaluations of public transportation and an assessment of residents' movements in Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture. The results of the analysis showed that residents' satisfaction with transportation services was correlated with the distance to the nearest train or metro station, but not to the nearest bus stop. Also, the transportation network may need to be redeveloped in the future because of differences in daily activities, even within Moriguchi City.