文：平山洋介（日本神戶大學人類發展與環境學研究所住宅與都市研究教授）
日本政府將都市更新視為核心政策，並特別著重東京的再發展。經濟全球化與新自由主義崛起的脈絡，明顯激化了東亞區域或全球北方的國際城際競爭。然而一九九〇年代初期房地產泡沫化後，日本長期經歷不穩定的經濟情勢，導致國家全球競爭力下滑的看法。此外，由於極低出生率，日本人口在二十一世紀前十年中期開始減少，並持續下滑，伴隨著老年人口激增。人口成長停滯結合經濟發展遲緩讓日本進入「後成長社會」。因此政府期望透過改造東京作為槓桿，再度強化國家競爭力。
過去在發展型國家的架構中，日本政府採取主動，不只發展大都市，也關注較小都市與鄉村地區。
平等且均衡的跨區發展，在空間上重新分配資源，是戰後區域政策的主要核心。透過公共工程分配與財務轉移體系，政府保護了地方經濟。然而，泡沫化後的經濟停滯、激化的城際競爭與無所不在的新自由主義有效結合，導致區域政策轉向以東京為中心的取向。此轉向與日本政府經濟上地方分權、鼓勵地方社群自立的新政策同時發生。公共工程分配與中央政府財務支援大幅減少，暗示政府不再齊頭式保護地方經濟。
東京為中心的取向興起，代表著區域與都市政策的核心原則從「發展」轉向「競爭」。
本文主要論點在於，日本政府以都市競爭為導向的積極新政策，結合後成長時代的人口與經濟遲滯，擴大了東京與國內其他區域，及東京都內不同區域間，人民房屋資產的空間－經濟差距。許多大型住宅建設計畫強化也反映出東京經濟的蓬勃發展，然而其他縣市與鄉村區域卻逐漸遭遇經濟下滑的困難。此外，競爭導向的都市政策也在東京都內部造成社會、經濟與空間上的差距。房地產投資的成長集中在都市中心，帶動許多高層公寓建設。然而都市周圍的房產市場卻持續下滑，伴隨著空屋率上升。此外，低收入者益發難以取得住屋。本篇報告將著重討論後成長時代中，特別是競爭導向的區域與都市政策之下，日本人住居條件的轉變。
Housing and Competition-Oriented Urban Policy in Post-Growth Japan
Yosuke Hirayama, Professor of Housing and Urban Studies, Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University
The Japanese government has implemented urban regeneration as a key policy, placing special emphasis on the redevelopment of Tokyo. Within the context of economic globalization and ascending neoliberalism, international intercity competition in the East Asian region or the Global North has noticeably intensified. Japan has, however, long been undergoing unstable economic conditions since the property bubble burst in the early 1990s, leading to the view that the nation’s global competitiveness has waned. Moreover, the population of Japan, which began to decrease in the mid-2000s due to extraordinarily low fertility, will continue to decline with an accelerated rise in the proportion of elderly people. Demographic stagnation has combined with economic decline to transform Japan into a ‘post-growth society’. The government has therefore sought to re-galvanize the nation’s competitiveness by means of fueling the restructuring of Tokyo as a lever.
Within the framework of the developmental state, the Japanese government took the initiative in developing not only large cities but also smaller cities and rural areas. The equal and balanced development across regions with spatially redistributing resources was the primary focus of the post-war regional policy. The government has protected the economy of local communities through the allocation of public works and the system of financial transfer. However, post-bubble economic stagnation, intensified intercity competition and pervasive neoliberalism have effectively combined to lead to the reorganization of regional policy towards the Tokyo-centric approach. This has coincided with the government’s new policy oriented towards economic decentralization, encouraging provincial communities to become more self-sufficient. The allocation of public works and financial assistance from the central government has been substantially reduced, implying that the government no longer seeks to protect local economies evenly. The rise of the Tokyo-centric approach has represented a shift in the key principle of regional and urban policy from ‘development’ to ‘competition’.
A key argument is that the Japanese government’s new, aggressive policy orientated towards urban competition has combined with post-growth demographic and economic stagnation to widen spatio-economic disparities in people’s housing fortunes between Tokyo and the rest of the country, and within Tokyo itself. A number of large-scale residential projects has reinforced and reflected the booming economy of Tokyo, whereas provincial cities and rural areas have increasingly been confronted with economic decline. In addition, competition-oriented urban policy has created social, economic and spatial disparities within Tokyo itself. The growing investments in real estate have been concentrated on the city centre, accelerating the erection of many condominium towers. On the periphery of the city, however, the property market has been continuously declining with rising vacancy rates. Moreover, those on low incomes have increasingly faced difficulties in securing housing. This presentation focuses on changes in people’s housing conditions in post-growth Japan, with particular reference to competition-oriented regional and urban policy.
OURs都市改革組織 