Provision of Allotment Gardens and Its Influencing Factors: A Case Study of Tokyo, Japan

Masayo Fukuda,Shoko Araki,Hua Zheng,Noriko Akita

doi:10.3390/land11030333

Masayo Fukuda, Shoko Araki + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/land11030333

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Abstract

Allotment gardens (AGs) are widely used in metropolitan areas around the world to offer agricultural opportunities to urban residents. However, there are not enough individual plots for residents to rent for urban gardening, and research on AGs from a city-wide perspective is ongoing. In addition, AGs have a long history in Tokyo, yet few international studies on the current situation of AGs have addressed Asian cities. Thus, this study intends to analyze the provision of AGs and its influencing factors in Tokyo. Using ArcGIS combined the 472-points dataset created by geo-coordinate mapping with urban GIS data to reveal spatial characteristics in four dimensions. Results demonstrate that most AGs are in the urbanization promotion area; most municipalities have AGs; AGs are concentrated within 20 to 30 km from the center of Tokyo; the AGs’ clusters are located at the municipal boundaries. We conducted multiple regressions to determine the influencing factors at the municipal level, with the provision that AGs are related to population density, land price, and the ratio of productive green space. The policy implication of this study is that policymakers need to consider the siting strategy of AGs based on spatial characteristics of AGs.

Highlights

Allotment gardens (AGs) are land-based gardening practices in urban areas [1,2,3,4,5,6]
We focus on the spatial distribution characteristics of AGs’ provision under four dimensions: in the context of land use, at the municipal level, in the multi-distance zones from the center of Tokyo, and spatial clustering
We believe that several factors decide the spatial distribution of AGs in different land-use contexts: (1) UPA was designed to be an urbanized area within 10 years, encouraging development related to urban planning and land readjustment; the urbanization control area (UCA) limits development in principle to rural conservation [69]; (2) Farmland in the urbanization promotion area of Tokyo has been restricted from development for conservation purposes, but various methods have been taken with the change of the times [90]

Summary

Introduction

Allotment gardens (AGs) are land-based gardening practices in urban areas [1,2,3,4,5,6]. AGs belong to urban agriculture, offered to households in small plots mainly for recreational gardening, especially for growing vegetables and fruits [7,8]. AGs’ spaces are semi-public, the paths through the site and other facilities are public, and the single plots are private [9]. In the early history of urban civilization, the courtyard spaces of private houses usually had vegetable gardens. In the context of rapid urbanization, it is difficult for urban dwellers to have their vegetable gardens; single private plots of allotment gardens are receiving more and more attention [13]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion