古谷 勝則

Informal green spaces (IGSs) are vital yet under-researched urban areas that enhance biodiversity, provide ecosystem services, and improve the well-being of urban residents. However, the lack of a consistent definition and comprehensive understanding of their multifunctional roles has hindered their effective integration into urban planning. The current literature review aimed to clarify the concept of IGSs, analyze research trends, and identify further research areas. Using a combined bibliometric and systematic analysis approach, 150 articles from the Web of Science database, published from 1996 to 2024, were analyzed. The systematic analysis identified 54 relevant documents on the effects of green areas, revealing a diverse and growing body of research on IGSs, including their types, distribution, and socioeconomic contexts. The findings indicated an increasing trend in collaborative studies, using “informal green space” as the official term. This review proposed a clear and comprehensive definition of IGS, emphasizing its visibility, lack of formal recognition, minimal management, spontaneous vegetation, and temporary nature and underscoring its substantial environmental and social benefits. Furthermore, this review highlighted the need for standardized definitions and interdisciplinary studies to fully harness the potential of IGSs, thereby emphasizing their essential contribution to urban biodiversity and the regulation of urban microclimates.

Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, dark tourism was developed in the Tohoku Region of Japan. Notably, two government-built tsunami memorial parks in Ishinomaki and Rikuzentakata have obtained attention for their profound disaster narratives, iconic disaster sites, and expansive layouts. This study is the first to compare the projected destination image presented by destination management organizations with the perceived destination image held by visitors in these parks, and in dark tourism. Using online text data from both supply and demand sides of dark tourism and text mining analyses such as word frequency analysis, co-occurrence network analysis, and affection tendency examination, we revealed similarities and disparities between these two perspectives. Furthermore, this study concluded dimensions specific to dark tourism sites within the cognitive and affective destination image. Based on the findings, the study provides advice for destination managers to improve these sites, including developing non-dark tourism products and improving infrastructures. Additionally, it suggests fostering visitor engagement in local non-profit and citizen activities to strengthen connections with residents and addressing tourist dissatisfaction to improve park facilities. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of text mining in comparing projected and perceived destination images in the context of dark tourism sites.

As countries develop, the challenge of providing access to the outdoors and nature increases. Consequently, recent environmental justice research has focused on measuring children’s access to parks. The results of these analyses better reflect differences in accessibility, but there are discrepancies between different accessibility models. This study aims to explore child-friendly accessibility measures and proposes a supply–demand-improved two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method for estimating urban park accessibility based on children’s needs. The application of this improved 2SFCA method in Changsha City successfully identified areas with unequal park accessibility, offering valuable insights for urban planners, that can be used to promote equitable access to green spaces for all residents, especially children. The results demonstrate that park accessibility in Changsha City exhibits significant differences across various areas, with the lowest accessibility in the western part of Furong District, the northwestern part of Yuhua District, and the southern part of Tianxin District; while the highest accessibility is found in Yuelu District. The limited green space in the central business district of Changsha City, coupled with high population density, indicates a tension between green space planning and population density in the city’s central area. The study proposes that the primary challenge in current green space planning in Changsha is the rational allocation of green spaces to meet the needs of high-density populations within limited urban space. It provides a comprehensive and realistic perspective for understanding the accessibility and availability of green spaces for children, which can help urban planners develop effective policies to support children’s outdoor mobility, while considering equity.

Abstract Cultural heritage is an important contributor to sustainable urban development, and its conservation is considered a global task. Previous research has primarily focused on the conservation of heritage buildings within architectural contexts and world heritage sites within geographical contexts. However, there is a notable gap in conservation of green cultural heritage (GCH) within a landscape-based framework. This study used the extended theory of planned behavior to explore the factors and pathways that influence the public's behavioral intentions toward GCH conservation. Based on 1075 questionnaires collected in Tokyo, Japan, the hypotheses of the newly constructed theoretical model were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results show that perceived behavioral control has the greatest positive influence on citizens' GCH conservation intentions and behaviors, while social norms do not influence people's behavioral intention to conserve. In the extended factors, the environmental awareness which including heritage awareness and cultural attachment, significantly influences public attitudes towards conservation. Additionally, environmental perception, including perceived usefulness and perceived quality, significantly affects the public's conservation intentions and behaviors, respectively. Our findings have implications for local governments and policymakers to enhance public participation in GCH, as well as some several new theoretical interests for further studies.

Memorial facilities are one of the crucial places where citizens conduct activities facilitating disaster risk reduction (DRR). However, previous studies have primarily focused on the post-construction phase of official memorial facilities, neglecting the citizen activities collaborating with the official memorial construction process before and during the construction process. This research gap is important considering the urgency of disaster-affected regions to recover from spatial, social, and psychological voids while working towards the goal of DRR, including the efforts of citizens in the official efforts. This study addresses this gap by examining the case of the official memorial park in Ishinomaki, Tohoku region, following the Great East Japan Earthquake. Here, local citizens actively participated in activities before, during, and after park construction, engaging with official efforts. Data were gathered from various online sources to capture activity, space, and management information. Employing a mixed methods research approach, we conducted both quantitative analysis, counting labels of structural coding, and qualitative description of original texts. Our findings reveal that fostering mutual respect built on communication and collaborative tree-planting activities were crucial for maintaining the pre-existing citizen activities and collaborative construction during the official construction period. Additionally, the implementation of a collaborative regulation system was vital for integrating and managing spontaneous citizen activities to achieve the park’s intended objectives post-opening. In conclusion, we highlighted a framework elucidating the mechanisms through which these processes contribute to DRR across key phases of disaster risk management: preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery (PPRR). These insights are important in guiding efforts to engage citizens in DRR initiatives through recovery and reconstruction facilitated by memorial facilities.