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Nationwide ageing and dramatic depopulation threaten the survival of many Japanese small-sized towns and villages. To address this challenge—which is not unique but that in Japan is compounded by uneven urbanization patterns and increasing ruptures within the socioeconomic order—the Government of Japan is encouraging municipalities to adopt a pro...

While shrinkage has been a debated topic in regional studies in the last decade, the shock brought by Covid-19 on the global economy adds further concerns for cities and regions already suffering from depopulation. As a result, a review of existing planning approaches and policies is necessary to inform change and support the future of cities and...

Low birth rates, restrictive immigration policies, and decades of economic stagnation are marking Japan’s transition to a post-growth society. All levels of government have hurried to address the new challenges ahead. In this desperate run for survival, the development of new high-speed railway lines in peripheral areas has been met with high...

A growing body of science maintains that anthropogenic climate change poses a grave threat to the well-being of earth and its inhabitants. Academics, environmentalists, and policymakers similarly concur that there is no single silver bullet solution to climate change; rather what is needed are well-integrated and long-term strategy. Yet adopting...