This paper explores the current understanding regarding the Circulating and Ecological Economy (CEE) and the Regional/Local CES concepts put forward by Japan’s Fifth Basic Environment Plan. The CEE and the Regional/Local CES advance a low-carbon, self-reliant, and decentralised society based on living in harmony with nature. The Regional/Local CES...
A city region is a unit comprising an urban core and surrounding peri-urban and, occasionally, rural areas. The Regional Circulating and Ecological Sphere (R-CES) proposed by the Japanese government is a guiding approach for policymaking that prioritises the harmonised flow of resources between urban and rural areas, low-carbon society, circular...
Urban and rural areas within a regional space are closely linked through a variety of linkages including the flow of people. The increasing pace of development transformations with discrete planning of urban and rural areas has raised serious concerns for achieving coordinated development at the regional level. In that regard, the concept of...
Global environmental change, the depletion of natural resources, and unacceptable levels of pollution, among other anthropogenic impacts on the planet and its ecosystems, demand a radical shift in the way humankind develops. Global agreements like the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” or the “Paris Agreement on Climate Change” seek to...
Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) are non-material benefits that are indispensable for the health and well-being of communities. CES are often spatially explicit and fluctuate according to the knowledge, beliefs, and perception of users of the location. Therefore, understanding the spatial patterns of CES perceived by people from different...
Urban and rural areas both depend on a shared stock of natural resources. However, their development planning is mostly focused within their established boundaries. This report is an effort to bring together innovative methods of integrating urban and rural stakeholders to manage shared natural resources. The report looks at seven different case...
Socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) can contribute to global goals for biodiversity conservation and dealing with climate change, while also contributing locally to human security and wellbeing. SEPLS are, however, under threat around the world. SEPLS have been promoted under the Satoyama Initiative by the International...
By reflecting on the case of Imabetsu, this paper explores alternative mechanisms to cope with shrinkage while striving for transitioning to more sustainable development pathways. It argues that rather than fighting against decline, the town should embrace its smaller size while looking within to find alternative ways to sustain the local community...
The 15th Annual Meeting of the Science and Technology in Society forum was held at the Kyoto International Conference Center from 7 to 9 October, 2018. The forum focused on lights and shadows of science and technology, and brought together global leaders in academia, industry and government from around 80 countries and regions, encouraging them to...
The urban and rural regions can be well understood as the dynamic systems embedded and interconnected through their social, economic and environmental settings. These urban-rural interlinkages have important implication for understanding climate change vulnerabilities and capturing opportunities for adaptation and disaster risk reduction. However...