USER BEHAVIOR IN A STATION AREA SPACE OF A LOCAL CITY CENTER –A CASE STUDY OF THE OZAKI STATION IN HANNAN CITY

Abstract

Local governments develop appropriate location plans to promote forming station-front spaces in compact cities to create lively city centers. However, plans clarifying the trends and movements of station users are limited. Understanding user behaviors and trends is necessary to meet local needs. Three surveys were conducted around the Ozaki Station in Hannan City, Osaka Prefecture, as a case study. The case study investigated station users' staying behavior based on video camera recordings, circulation using a behavior tracking survey, and parking space usage using an observational field survey. The results showed that people who stayed in front of the Ozaki Station used areas conducive to staying and with little interference from passersby. They spent an average of approximately 4 min in the station area. On the north side, 94.6% of the people used the front space of the station on their way home. On the south side, 36.5% entered a store or facility for purchasing. Parking space occupied 77.3% of the underused land around the station, and 41.5% of the parking space had a parking ratio of 30% or less. In conclusion, this study found that the area around the Ozaki Station could become a commercial, recreational, or leisure center rather than a mere transit point. Therefore, utilizing underused parking spaces and creating public lingering areas have become primary concerns.