Municipal Mergers and Open Horizontal Networking Within Enlarged Cities ---A Perspective on Urban Restructuring for the 21st Century---

本研究从更广阔的视角提出了21世纪城市重构的范式变化。比以往更大规模的城市合并和更紧密的地方核心横向网络是关键。在上个世纪，以美国城市为首的许多城市追求的是满足人们的食欲和享受物质财富的欲望。各地的城市发展几乎都是一样的：国家和地方政府主动提供刻板的社会基础设施，过于强调硬件。在21世纪，这种刻板的城市发展不再适用于有效地重组城市活动。在信息全球化时代，无论是公共部门还是民间部门，都有必要以全新的视角看待城市重建和振兴。为了得到国际承认，城市、城镇和村庄可能会迫于需要而进行合并……更多的是通过开发丰富的人力资源来提高经济效率，加强财政基础，提高管理和谈判能力。作者创造了“大置”或大都市化一词，以表示为形成一个扩大的城市而进行城市合并的趋势。在这样一个扩大了的城市里，垂直的、分层的地方核心排名，其中一个在其顶部，不再有效。就像扩大的城市经常出现的情况一样，城市里不是只有一个，而是有几个地方核心。每个内核都保持其独特的功能，相当独立和自主，而不是按等级顺序排列。作者将这种现象称为“buntoshika”，即在扩大的城市中出现并共存相当自治的地方核心。为了在以信息为导向的全球社区中生存和繁荣，一个扩大的城市不仅需要摆脱城市发展和振兴的等级观念，而且需要通过在它们之间建立开放的、横向的网络以及通过向外联网来重组其地方核心之间的关系。从中央政府到地方自治团体的权力下放，只能通过合并和横向紧密联网的方式实现更大的城市。少

This study proposes a paradigm change in a broader perspective on urban restructuring for the 21st century. Mergers of municipalities in larger scale than ever before and closer horizontal networking of local cores are the keys.During the last century many cities, American cities being the first on the list, pursued desires to satisfy people's appetite and to enjoy material affluence. Urban developments tended to be almost alike everywhere : national and local governments took the initiative in supplying stereotypical social infrastructures attaching too much emphasis on hardware.In the 21st century such stereotypical urban developments are no longer valid for effectively restructuring urban activities. In the age of information-oriented globalization, it is necessary for both public and private sectors to see urban redevelopment and revitalization in a completely new perspective.To be recognized internationally, cities, towns and villages are likely to be driven to mergers by necessit … More y of accelerating their economic efficiency, strengthening their financial bases as well as improving their managerial and negotiative abilities by developing rich human resources. Author coin the term 'daitoshika' or metropolitanization to signify that tendency of municipal mergers for forming an enlarged city.Within such an enlarged city, a vertical, hierarchical ranking of local cores with one of them on its top does not work well any longer. As is often the case with enlarged cities, there are not one but several local cores in the city. Each of those inner cores keeps its unique function, rather independent and autonomous, not to be ranked hierarchically to the rest. Author name that phenomenon 'buntoshika' or emergence and co-existence of rather autonomous local cores within an enlarged city.In order to survive and prosper in information-oriented global community, it is necessary for an enlarged city not only to free itself from the idea of hierarchical urban development and revitalization but also to restructure relationship among its local cores by making open, horizontal networks among them as well as by outward networking.Decentralization of power from a national government to local municipalities can only be materialized by making larger cities by mergers and horizontally and closely networking their local cores. Less