A Study of the Vacant Land in Okayama Metropolitan Region

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the process of the formation of vacant lots in a metropolitan region based on intensive field survey. The term “vacant lots” is defined here as pieces of land visibly idle in urbanized areas.First, the distributional patterns of vacant lots are examined in the Okayama Metropolitan Region. Next, examples of three districts which differ in degrees of urbanization, social institutions and so forth have been presented. Those three districts are located in 1) the suburbs close to the central city, 2) the farm areas, and 3) the suburbs on the fringes of metropolitan regions where many housing complexes are located.The findings are as follows:1) There are two types of vacant lots in the suburbs close to the central city. One type is formed when farmlands are directrectly turned into dwelling areas. The other is formed when farmland is no longer cultivated and turned into wasteland of fallow land. It has been formed that the former type may be caused either by a demand for residential land or a farmer's willingness to non-farming utilization of farmland. Under such circumstances, active trading of farmland is common. One of the reasons why farmland is sold is to raise funds to build rental houses. However, in some cases reclaimed farmland remains idle to fall into the category of “vacant lots”. But these vacant lots may come to be used for residential and other purposes, as landowners change their minds in turn, by changes in socio-economic conditions. The elements of the socio-economic conditions include the progress of urbanization, regional development policies, etc.The other type may be attributable to the shortage of agricultural labor, for most of the farmers living in the suburbs close to the central city are earning income mostly from work other than farming. Many of them are self-employed managing retail stores and houses for rent. However, vacant lots in this category may also be turned into residential lots over time. That is, after a certain period of time, the vacant lots in the latter category may be formed through the similar process as those in the former category.2) The process of vacant land formation in the farming areas is very simple. The vacant lands are caused by the shortage of agricultural labor. The process of vacant land formation is similar to that of the latter type of the vacant lots formed in the suburbs close to the central city. However, the reasons for the decrease in agricultural labor in the farming areas essentially differ from those in the suburbs. That is, the shortage of labor has been brought about either by the fact that farmers can obtain regular employment in the central city or by the fact that they come to engage in more productive sections of agriculture, e.g. dairy and livestock farming.3) The vacant lots on the fringes of the metropolitan region, however, has been caused by developers as well as by those who purchase land for private housing. A number of lots in the housing development areas simply remain unused for a considerable period of time. Some of these lots are purchased for speculative purposes. Farmland around such suburban housing area is little effected by the new development.