This study discusses the potential of small cities and towns in developed and aging countries through a case study of the town of Utazu, Kagawa, located on the island of Shikoku, Japan (Taira 2022; Banski 2022). Currently, Japan is one of the most advanced aging countries in the world, with a declining population rate. However, on a local scale, some small cities outside the major metropolitan areas of Tokyo and Osaka have been resilient in maintaining a steady population rate (Murayama 2000). An example of this is the town of Utazu, which has about 19,000 residents, and is the only local municipality in Kagawa Prefecture wherein the population has not declined. With this trend of downsizing, "resilience" and "sustainability" have become keywords. The concept of "compact city" has been drawing increasing attention from administrators and researchers (Dantzig and Saaty 1974; Pacione 2009). In this study, the factors responsible for the resiliency of the town are examined and suggestions are proposed for other small cities and towns in developed and aging countries that may benefit from following the example of Utazu.
Mots clés : compact city|resiliency|sustainability|Utazu|Japan
A102758AT