論文題名 ： アジアの都市化・都市成長と参加型居住環境整備に関する研究
論 文 内 容 の 要 旨
アジアでは急速な経済成長が続いており、都市化・都市成長は経済成長を牽引する大きな役割を担っている。経済成長と都市化・都市成長の間には密接な関係があり、近年の都市化・都市成長は、製造業等の生産活動の集積だけでなく、文化・芸術やソフト産業を含む創造的経済活動が都市内で活発化することにより進展している点も指摘されている。一方、急速な都市化・都市成長は、富裕層と貧困層の格差を拡大し、都市部における貧困層の増加をもたらしており、その結果、所得階層による居住地の分離が進み、多くの貧困層は不法占拠地域等の所謂スラムに居住することとなり、居住環境の整備に関する課題がますます顕在化してきている。こうしたアジアでの新たな都市化・都市成長の動向を把握し、課題解決の方策を検討するためには、これまでの欧米を主たる対象にした都市論とは異なる新たな観点からの都市化・都市成長に対する分析と動向把握を進め、格差や居住環境整備の課題に対する今後の方途を明らかにしていく必要がある。
以上の問題意識の下、本研究では、既往の都市論や都市モデルをレビューした上で、創造的経済活動に着目した創造都市論の観点も含めアジアにおける都市化・都市成長の傾向や経済活動の状況を明らかにし、都市化・都市成長と貧困・格差の関係、及び経済成長に効果的に働く格差としての有効格差について論じた。その上で、持続的な都市化・都市成長の観点から、有効格差の中での経済成長を維持するためには格差是正政策の推進が不可欠であることを指摘し、その有効な手段として、貧困層が直面している生活改善の莫大なニーズに対応した参加型居住環境整備の必要性と方策を提示した。
本論文は、序論、本論及び結論の6章で構成されている。
第1章では、序論として、本研究に至る背景と問題意識、研究の目的と意義について述べると共に、論文の構成、使用する用語の定義について整理した。
第2章では、アジアにおける都市化・都市成長の動向を把握するため、既往の研究や都市論について整理すると共に、人口・経済に関する統計分析により、アジアの都市化・都市成長が4つのパタンに整理できることを示した。また、アジアの都市化・都市成長の動向と経済活動との関係の特徴として、急速な都市化は進行するが、人口配置に大きな変化は生じないこと、都市を基盤とした経済活動の割合が極めて大きいことなどを明らかにした。その一方、増加する都市人口の大半はスラム地区等に居住することから、居住環境保全と開発のバランスを伴う持続可能な都市化・都市成長を進める上での都市部の地方自治体の役割の重要性と適切な居住環境整備方策の確立の必要性を指摘した。
第3章では、創造都市に関する先行研究により欧米の創造都市の特徴を整理した上で、アジアにおける創造的な経済活動が顕著な都市の事例分析に基づき、①成長への強い希求の存在、②多様な階層が存在する格差社会、③伝統的技術の応用、④多文化・多民族、といったアジア型の創造都市の特徴を抽出すると共に、格差が拡大する中で出現した多くの富裕層が創造的経済活動を体現している点や伝統的技術を有する中規模都市が独自の創造的経済活動を活発化させている点などの傾向を明らかにした。更に、多文化・多民族で多様な階層が存在する格差社会であるアジアの都市の利点として、様々な価値観を受容し得る寛容性、創造的経済活動の担い手であるクリエイティブ・クラスの存在を挙げ、課題として更に格差が拡大する傾向にある点を指摘し、格差是正のためには、まず所得階層別の居住地分離の問題に対応する必要があることを論じた。
第4章では、アジア各地域の格差に係る経済統計分析に基づき、貧困・格差の状況と格差社会の中で生まれたインフォーマル経済とフォーマル経済が相互依存するアジアの都市の経済活動の特徴を明らかにした。また、格差の変化率と所得・消費の変化率の相関分析を通じて、格差が経済成長に寄与する都市成長モデルの仮説の妥当性を検証すると共に、格差と経済成長の関係に関するコーニャの理論に基づき、経済成長に効果的に働く格差を有効格差として定義した。さらに、その有効格差を有する地域としてアジアの諸都市を位置づけ、格差の拡大を是正して有効格差を維持することによる経済成長の継続の可能性を論じた。一方、格差拡大のもたらすマイナス要因にも着目し、都市部の低所得層や貧困層に対する支援とスラム地区等の居住環境整備による格差拡大是正の必要性を指摘した。
第5章では、アジアの都市で進めている居住環境整備について、持続的な都市化・都市成長と格差拡大是正の観点から見たその必要性と参加型による整備の有効性を論じた。まず、参加型の整備手法に関する先行研究に基づきながら、国連人間居住計画（国連ハビタット）が進めてきたアジアでの居住環境整備の事例分析を通じて、参加型手法の有効性を検証した。更に、アジアの都市の実態を踏まえた上で住民自らが積極的に居住環境の改善に取り組むための課題を整理し、住民の組織化、技術や資金の支援、安定した土地保有の保障などの地方自治体の果たすべき役割と利害調整を伴う合意形成過程の重要性を指摘した。
最後に、第6章では前章までに得られた知見を総括し、本論文の結論とした。
Name of Author:
Toshiyasu Noda
Title of Thesis:
Urbanization, city growth and participatory programmes to improve living conditions in Asia
Classification:
Doctorate by way of Advanced Course
Abstract
In Asia, urbanization and city growth play a considerable role in sustaining the region’s rapid economic growth. In fact, economic growth and urbanization/city growth are closely interconnected. On one hand, some researchers point out that recent city growth has been promoted not only by productive activities such as manufacturing, but also by vigorous creative economic activities, including cultural and artistic activities in urban areas. On the other hand, rapid and unplanned growth of cities has caused an increase in urban poverty and widened inequality between the haves and the have-nots, leading to the acceleration of residential segregation by income. As a result, rich people live in gated community on high-valued land while people at the bottom end of the socio-economic scale reside in slum areas. This spotlights the importance of efforts to improve the living conditions for inhabitants of such areas and work toward to the integration of the city so it becomes inclusive. Given this situation, it is becoming more essential to have a clear picture of the recent trend towards urbanization & city growth in Asia and to analyze it from a new perspective, rather than using conventional Western-oriented urban theories. This will aid in designing practical approaches to address disparity in wealth and the protection & improvement of quality in residential environments.
In considering the aforementioned issues, this paper reviews conventional urban theories and urban models. In addition, it clarifies the recent trend of urbanization & city growth and the status of economic activities in Asia, which includes a view of creative cities that focuses on creative economic activities. Furthermore, the correlation between urbanization/city growth and socioeconomic inequality is discussed. The idea of an “efficient inequality range” that is considered effective for economic growth is further introduced. In anticipation of continued urbanization & city growth, the paper emphasizes the significance of the enactment and implementation of policies aimed at correcting inequalities so as to achieve sustainable economic growth in an efficient inequality range. As a potentially effective approach to rectifying inequality while at the same time sustaining economic growth, the necessity of a participatory programme to improve living conditions is highlighted. Such programme is expected to meet substantial and practical needs of the impoverished residents who desperately seek a better life.
This paper consists of six chapters including an introduction, body and conclusion.
The introduction in Chapter 1 describes the background of the thematic and geographic issues along with the researcher’s increasing awareness of the matter, which eventually led to the implementation of this study. The purpose and meaning of the study are also explained. Finally, the composition of the paper is clarified and the terms used are defined.
Chapter 2 attempts to obtain a clear picture of the trend of urbanization & city growth in Asia. Conventional studies and views on urban development are reviewed, and it is reasoned that urbanization & city growth patterns found in Asian cities can be divided into four groups in accordance with the statistical analysis of the region’s population and economy. The correlation between the urbanization & city growth trend and economic activities in Asian cities is characterized by the facts that the region’s rapid urbanization does not necessarily affect population distribution and that Asian cities are the economic drivers. At the same time, the importance of the local governments’ role in realizing both sustainable urban development and residential environment protection is emphasized. Also stressed is the need to take appropriate measures to improve living conditions as a response to the problem of a majority of growing urban populations ending up in slum conditions.
Chapter 3 reviews the characteristics of creative cities as viewed by Western countries. In comparison with their Western counterparts, the characteristics of creative Asian cities are clarified. These include 1) the “strong desire” of the residents for further development, 2) societies with multiple levels of economic disparity and stratification, 3) diffusion of traditional technologies, and 4) multicultural and multiethnic societies. A detailed study and analysis of Asian cities that stand out among other cities due to their creative economic activities has revealed these common characteristics. This research has also revealed that many members of the wealthy class engendered by the widening socioeconomic gap tend to be actively involved in the creative economic activities. Further, some middle-sized cities have been developing their creative economic activities by effectively utilizing their traditional technologies. In addition, this paper focuses attention on the “tolerance” that allows the acceptance of diverse values as well as the growth of the “creative class” that leads creative economic activities as growth factors of Asian cities, where multicultural and multiethnic societies with multiple socioeconomic classes are found. Finally, regarding future challenges of the region, the growth of inequality in society and the importance of efforts to address the issue of residential segregation by income are highlighted as vital first steps in rectifying social disparity.
Chapter 4 describes and analyzes the characteristics and interdependence of economic activities in the informal economy and formal economy, which are created by poverty and disparity in an unequal society. The chapter also examines the validity of the hypothesis involving an urban growth model that is supposed to contribute to economic growth, through analysis of the correlation between the change rate of socioeconomic inequality and that of income/consumption. In addition, the chapter defines inequality that effectively leads to economic growth as the efficient inequality range, based on Cornia’s theory on the interconnection between inequality and economic growth. Furthermore, identifying Asian cities as regions with the efficient inequality range, the possibility for those cities to attain sustainable economic growth by correcting the growing inequality and keeping themselves within the efficient inequality range is proposed. The chapter also focuses attention on the negative effects of the widening inequality and reiterates the necessity of measures to provide systematic support to the low-income class and the poor in urban areas, and to correct the growing inequality through increased efforts to improve the living conditions of slum dwellers.
Chapter 5 highlights some of Asian cities’ ongoing efforts to improve their living conditions. It examines the necessity of their efforts from the perspective of sustainable urbanization & city growth and the correction of widening inequality, as well as the effectiveness of the participatory programme to improve living conditions. The effectiveness of the programme is verified using case studies on urban projects led by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), referencing previous studies on participatory improvement approaches. Next, based on circumstances surrounding Asian cities, issues that could impede residents’ active efforts to improve their living conditions are outlined. This eventually highlights the importance of the local governments’ role such as organizing communities, providing necessary technical assistance and funds, and assuring security of land and housing tenure, and also the significance of the consensus-building process including reconciliation of interests.
Finally, Chapter 6 summarizes the concepts presented in previous chapters. In conclusion, environmental protection, reduction of inequality and mainstreaming of people’s process in national policy should be highly prioritized in order to realize sustainable urbanization and city growth in Asia.