Metropolitan Government Research Articles

On-site Dining in Tokyo During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Time Series Analysis Using Mobile Phone Location Data.

BackgroundDuring the second wave of COVID-19 in August 2020, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government implemented public health and social measures to reduce on-site dining. Assessing the associations between human behavior, infection, and social measures is essential to understand achievable reductions in cases and identify the factors driving changes in social dynamics.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the association between nighttime population volumes, the COVID-19 epidemic, and the implementation of public health and social measures in Tokyo.MethodsWe used mobile phone location data to estimate populations between 10 PM and midnight in seven Tokyo metropolitan areas. Mobile phone trajectories were used to distinguish and extract on-site dining from stay-at-work and stay-at-home behaviors. Numbers of new cases and symptom onsets were obtained. Weekly mobility and infection data from March 1 to November 14, 2020, were analyzed using a vector autoregression model.ResultsAn increase in the number of symptom onsets was observed 1 week after the nighttime population volume increased (coefficient=0.60, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.92). The effective reproduction number significantly increased 3 weeks after the nighttime population volume increased (coefficient=1.30, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.89). The nighttime population volume increased significantly following reports of decreasing numbers of confirmed cases (coefficient=–0.44, 95% CI –0.73 to –0.15). Implementation of social measures to restaurants and bars was not significantly associated with nighttime population volume (coefficient=0.004, 95% CI –0.07 to 0.08).ConclusionsThe nighttime population started to increase after decreasing incidence of COVID-19 was announced. Considering time lags between infection and behavior changes, social measures should be planned in advance of the surge of an epidemic, sufficiently informed by mobility data.

Exploring the creation of the metropolitan city-region government: the cases of England, France and Italy

ABSTRACT Over the past decade, several European countries have undergone reforms that modified the distribution of allocated powers and/or the geographical area of intervention of local authorities. This paper focuses on the institution of metropolitan governments. National legislative and executive powers usually claim that they want to provide densely urbanized areas with a more integrative level of action. As a result, the public authorities in large cities would get a greater capacity to deal with issues such as economic growth, increased soil sealing, socio-spatial inequalities, etc. This paper explores the motivations and forms of such metropolitan reforms in three European countries within the last decade, with the creation of Combined Authorities in England, of métropoles in France and of citta metropolitane in Italy. We argue that the forms of metropolitan government that have emerged in the three countries are embedded in very different institutional systems (Section 2). Considering the strategies of key protagonists, we show that the new modes of governance differ across and sometimes within countries (Section 3). In particular, the spatiality and the autonomy of the new metropolitan governments vary in the three countries (Section 4).

Improvement plan for the role of urban regeneration center using in-depth interview Focusing on the Urban Regeneration Center in Metropolitan Government

Improvement plan for the role of urban regeneration center using in-depth interview Focusing on the Urban Regeneration Center in Metropolitan Government

Evolutionary Transition of Stormwater Pump System in Tokyo

One of the roles of sewerage is to effectively discharge stormwater and protect urban areas from inland flooding, but there are several challenges to overcome. Urban development is progressing in Tokyo, and the amount of stormwater flowing into the sewers is increasing. In order to respond to the increase in the frequency of heavy rainfall in recent years, it is necessary to improve the capacity of stormwater pumps. The Bureau of Sewerage Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been working on the technological development of higher-performance stormwater pumps since the 1950s, when initial-type stormwater pumps were installed. The technological development history of stormwater pumps in Tokyo can be broadly divided into four periods. The first period spanned approximately 30 years when initial-type pumps, which start to operate after stormwater flows into the pump station, were active. In the second period, which spans approximately 20 years from 1980, two types of pumps were developed; a non-water supply pump that could operate reliably even in an earthquake, and a standby operation pump that could respond to sudden stormwater inflow during torrential rains. The third period spans approximately 15 years from 1999, when the waterless standby pump, which integrated the features of the two pumps developed in the second period, was developed and introduced. The fourth period is the era of pumps with higher performances than third period pumps developed after 2015. Currently, these stormwater pumps are operated together with a rainfall radar system that accurately grasps the rainfall situation and protects the citizens of Tokyo from inland flooding.

광역자치단체와 기초자치단체의 지방재정 수입변화에 따른 지출행태 비교분석: 정책유형별 비대칭적 지출행태 모형의 탐색적 적용을 중심으로

본 연구에서는 2008년부터 2018년까지 패널자료를 사용하여 광역과 기초(시군구 유형별) 지방자치단체간 지방재정 수입변화(자체수입과 의존재원)에 따른 정책유형별 지출행태를 비교 분석하였다. 특히, 민간부문 또는 준공공부문(공공기관 등)의 하방경직적 비대칭적 지출행태 모형을 탐색적 차원에서 지방자치단체에 적용하였다. 분석결과, 광역자치단체는 수입과 지출의 대칭 또는 비대칭적 관계를 일반화하기 어려운 것으로 분석되었다. 반면에, 기초자치단체는 자체수입에 한정해서 개발정책, 할당정책 지출에서 하방경직적(수입의 감소에 비해 지출이 더 작게 감소하는) 행태가 존재하였으며, 재분배정책 지출에서 대칭적 행태가 존재하는 것으로 분석되었다. 특히, 기초자치단체를 시군구 유형으로 세분화할 경우 각 정책유형별로 상이한 특징을 보이는 것으로 분석되었다. 이상의 분석결과을 토대로 이론적, 방법론적, 정책적 시사점과 한계를 보완하기 위한 후속연구 방향을 논의하였다.

Between the state and citizens: Changing governance of intermediary organisations for inclusive and sustainable urban regeneration in Seoul

Cities across East Asia once experienced rapid economic growth and urban development under a strong interventionist state. The recent economic slowdown and political changes have pressured them to find alternatives to the previous state-led or market-driven urban development. New forms of participatory governance have been devised to mobilise citizen participation in decision-making. Citizen participation, however, is not simply about direct interactions between the state and citizens. It is also guided and facilitated by intermediary organisations that are state- or self-funded bodies working between the state and citizens. Seoul in South Korea is a case in point. Over the past decade, Seoul Metropolitan Government has institutionalised intermediary organisations to expand citizen participation in diverse areas of urban life. In urban development, a more inclusive approach has been put forward through new partnerships between government, intermediary organisations, and citizens. In this article, a case study of such partnership is critically examined. Urban regeneration in the Changsin-Sungin Area shows two meaningful changes in the governance of the intermediary organisation. The first change occurred when the intermediary organisation recruited residents as staff members and helped them to create a new local cooperative. The second change happened when the local cooperative took over the role of the intermediary organisation. Analysis of these changes revealed that intermediaries have a contradictory role in urban regeneration. On the one hand, the intermediary intervention has expanded citizen participation and improved consistently the engagement of the community of practice. On the other hand, intermediary intervention has served to instrumentalise citizen participation and constrain the growth of an autonomous community of practice while helping the state to retain control over urban regeneration. In this sense, the intermediary-led participation contains seeds of yet-to-be realised potential, albeit with the current flaws, for more inclusive and sustainable urban regeneration, which this study recognises as an integral part of emerging post-developmental urbanisation in South Korea.

레퍼렌덤에 관한 엘리트의 정치적 동기와 정당정치: 서울시 무상급식 주민투표 사례를 중심으로

직접민주주의적 속성을 내재한 레퍼렌덤은 일반적으로 대의제의 결점을 치유할 수 있는 이상적인 제도라고 긍정적인 평가를 받는다. 하지만 레퍼렌덤은 대의제라는 현실 속에서 치러지는 투표이기 때문에 엘리트의 정당정치와 불가분의 관계에 있다. 그래서 이 제도는 다른 대안들 가운데 더 민주적인 수단이어서라기보다는, 대의제하에서 정치권력을 유지하고 정책을 실행하기에 더 유리한 수단이기 때문에 엘리트에 의해 선택되는 것일 수 있다. 이와 같은 관점에서 본 연구는 서울시 무상급식 주민투표 사례를 중심으로 레퍼렌덤에 관한 엘리트의 정치적 동기와 그 결과에 대해 분석한다. 사례에서 레퍼렌덤은 여소야대의 정당정치 지형에서 소수당이 선택할 수 있는 무기로서 서울시장의 반박 동기에 의해 발의되었지만 레퍼렌덤을 주도했던 여당 내 단합도가 낮아 지지층을 동원하는 데 한계가 있었다. 또 서울시장은 정당으로부터 투표 사안을 분리하여 자신에 대한 신임투표로 치환하였는데, 이 역시 투표 결과에 불리하게 작용하였다. 이러한 결과는 선거뿐만 아니라 레퍼렌덤에서도 정당정치가 상당히 중요하게 작용할 수 있음을 시사한다.

서울시 미니태양광 설치 과정에서 시장 행위자 역할 이해와 활성화 방안: 실천이론 관점을 바탕으로

This study analyzes the role of market actors in the energy transition process and the interaction between them and ordinary citizens, primarily focusing on the mini-PV project in Seoul. The study also proposes measures to harness market actors’ activities and successfully implement the distribution of mini-PV systems in Seoul. In this study, practice theory is used as a theoretical resource to analyze the interaction between market actors and civil society actors and to help understand how market actors influence the decisions of regular citizens in installing mini-PV at their properties. After conducting surveys and hosting in-depth interviews with ordinary citizens and market actors, it was found that to further promote the role of market actors, the Seoul Metropolitan Government should actively support and monitor the public relations activities of market actors, while concurrently managing selected companies and establishing relevant administrative systems for continued effective use post-installation of mini-PV systems. In future studies of the energy transition process, market actors should also be recognized as key players, along with government and civil society actors, and their roles should be studied in a balanced way.

Socio-Cultural Impact of Church Building in Russia (the Case of the Cathedral of Saint Martyr Catherine in Ekaterinburg)

In recent years, Russia has been going through a boom of church building. In 2009, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) had 29,263 parishes and by 2019 this figure had risen to 38,649. In the last decade, the growth in the number of Orthodox religious organizations and places of worship has by far exceeded that of other assets of social infrastructure. While the number of churches is growing, however, the number of schools, kindergartens and hospitals is steadily falling. Unlike other elements of social infrastructure, church building is funded not from the state budget but is financed by donors, sponsors and by the ROC itself, with some of the funds coming from payments for religious rites (baptism, weddings etc).This article analyzes the historical significance and socio-economic impact of church building by focusing on the case of the Cathedral of Saint Martyr Catherine in Ekaterinburg. The right choice of the construction site for the cathedral - the choice that would be agreeable to the metropolitan bishop, municipal government, businesses and sponsors, local community and opinion leaders - will ensure not only that the project will be duly completed but also underline the fact that local communities are able to establish consensus and recognize each other’s interests in local decision-making. One of the possible locations considered for building St.Catherine’s Cathedral in Ekaterinburg was a former industrial site in the centre of the city. Eventually, it was chosen as the most suitable place for this large-scale project. Redevelopment of an underused or abandoned industrial site, resulting in the improvement in the quality of urban environment, can be seen as an effective instrument of project realization, contributing to the building’s social and economic significance.

Recentralization of Tokyo: Contradiction and Political Struggle for Regional Policy in Japan

Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, has always been a center of national economic growth, and hence a focal point of political struggle between local and national government. There exist two kinds of political forces; the former desires strong concentration of economic activities in Tokyo based on market rationality and economic efficiency, and the latter counters the former claiming more decentralization based on the balanced national economic structure. This paper reviews the development of urban and regional policy in Japan over the last 20 years and examines how such political forces have played out. After the decade‐long sluggish economic performance and the challenge of inter‐urban competition by Asian mega‐cities, Tokyo Metropolitan Government formulated an aggressive promotional policy under the leadership of the then Governor Ishihara. He tactically created a political consensus to give locational favor to the central part of Tokyo at the expense of other regions. It was partially challenged by the election of the then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who insisted the need to revitalize the regions that were economically lagging. Despite his words, however, the centralization of Tokyo continued. This paper argues that the regional revitalization policy under the Abe administration was political rhetoric rather than reality, and Japan's economic fortune may still depend on the performance of Tokyo in the global economy under the neoliberal policy orientation.

일본 동경도의 개별적 노동분쟁 해결 시스템에 대한 실증적 연구

Individual labor disputes have been rapidly increasing recently in Japan. The Tokyo Labour Relations Commission, however, handles only collective labor disputes and not individual labor disputes unlike most Labour Relations Commission of another Local Government. The reason is known to be due to the practice that individual labor disputes have been resolved in different ways like the Labor Counseling Center(hereinafter referred to as LCC) within Tokyo Metropolitan Government(hereinafter referred to as Tokyo).<BR> Here an author intends to introduce the functions and operation status of the LCC in Tokyo Metropolitan Government.<BR> Conclusions are as follows:<BR> First, in the case of Tokyo, six permanent LCCs are operated, and each LCC has a jurisdictional area of Tokyo to provide labor counseling, seminar program, circle activity by workers etc. Of course, Tokyo citizens can use any of these LCCs regardless of their address.<BR> Second, labor counseling hours are operated flexibly. In general, labor counseling at the LCC is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. The counseling center, however, is also open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Furthermore some counseling centers have labor counseling until 8 p.m. on certain days of the week.<BR> Third, the quality of the consultation is high. The labor counseling center also provides expert counseling for the mental health of workers. On the other hand, counseling with a lawyer is provided on difficult and complicated labor disputes.<BR> Forth, most of the labor counseling applications are made by telephone, and in terms of the size of the workplace, there are more applications for labor counseling by workers at small or large workplaces than workers at medium-sized workplaces.<BR> Fifth, the contents of labor counseling show that there are many consultations on important working conditions, such as retirement, dismissal, and wages. Next is the sequence of consultations on human relationships, such as harassment, sexual harassment, pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, etc. in the workplace, and consultations on social insurance (pension, industrial accident, and employment insurance) related to social safety nets.<BR> Finally, there is consideration for labor counseling for the socially disadvantaged, such as non-regular workers and foreign workers, that is, separate counseling sessions for non-regular workers on certain days of November every year, and supports English and Chinese.

London’s food policy: Leveraging the policy sub-system, programme and plan

This article explores the spaces for, and boundaries to, London’s food policy. Leveraging the concept of institutions as policy-structuring forces, it positions immediate policymaking capacity and potential as delineated by broader historical, social and legislative institutions. Using new data, the findings identify structuring effects including: the strategic force of different policy areas; the Mayor’s remit and interests; relationships between the London authority and the boroughs, as well as in relation to the national level; and requirements for integration. Within the metropolitan government space, distinguishing between the food policy sub-system, programme and plan provides a conceptual device to understand how food policy in London extends beyond its limited direct levers and resources – reflecting and responding to the city’s longstanding complicated and multi-tiered governance. Food policy is enabled through a sub-system consisting of a set of dedicated food governance structures and mechanisms – a permanent team of staff, plus policy networks, advisors and street-level implementers – which utilise different modes of policy integration to bolster the programme of activities around food. A new cross-cutting food plan – the London Food Strategy – was developed in 2018 to coordinate these different actors and activities. The case study enables critical reflection on the potential for urban food policy to address a range of food systems outcomes. While some harder policy interventions are possible, there remains a multi-level disconnect in policy authority between the local borough, metropolitan and national levels. There are constraints on how far transformation can take place, raising questions about the re-balancing of national-local power sharing which will be required for a more coherent and transformative approach.

Does Differentiation by Certified Raw Wood Change the Average Price at the Tama Roundwood Market Center in Tokyo, Japan?

It is important to understand price premiums related to certified raw wood to predict the future of forest certifications from the perspective of forestry enterprises. We focused on identifying the trading roundwood market data in the economic center of power in Tokyo. This study aimed to clarify Tama-certified raw wood prices under the local area certification scheme, forest-certified raw wood prices, and the handling volumes at the Tama Roundwood Market Center in Tokyo. Sales details of the Tama Roundwood Market Center were used to identify the handling volumes, Tama-certified raw wood prices, and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or SGEC (Japan-specific Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council)-certified raw wood prices. The FSC and SGEC have operated from the center since 2016. Data were collected from the 2006–2018 fiscal years. Our results showed that the volume of raw wood handled increased due to the regeneration-cutting project conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. On the other hand, there was no price premium for Tama-certified raw wood under the local certification scheme or for FSC- or SGEC-certified raw wood. Price premiums for forest certifications are necessary for ongoing sustainable forest management. There is a need to increase consumer awareness of forest certifications and to differentiate quality certifications further, and these would likely create price premiums.

Key Population Hotspots in Nigeria for Targeted HIV Program Planning: Mapping, Validation, and Reconciliation.

BackgroundWith the fourth highest HIV burden globally, Nigeria is characterized as having a mixed HIV epidemic with high HIV prevalence among key populations, including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs. Reliable and accurate mapping of key population hotspots is necessary for strategic placement of services and allocation of limited resources for targeted interventions.ObjectiveWe aimed to map and develop a profile for the hotspots of female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs in 7 states of Nigeria to inform HIV prevention and service programs and in preparation for a multiple-source capture-recapture population size estimation effort.MethodsIn August 2018, 261 trained data collectors from 36 key population–led community-based organizations mapped, validated, and profiled hotspots identified during the formative assessment in 7 priority states in Nigeria designated by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Hotspots were defined as physical venues wherein key population members frequent to socialize, seek clients, or engage in key population–defining behaviors. Hotspots were visited by data collectors, and each hotspot’s name, local government area, address, type, geographic coordinates, peak times of activity, and estimated number of key population members was recorded. The number of key population hotspots per local government area was tabulated from the final list of hotspots.ResultsA total of 13,899 key population hotspots were identified and mapped in the 7 states, that is, 1297 in Akwa Ibom, 1714 in Benue, 2666 in Cross River, 2974 in Lagos, 1550 in Nasarawa, 2494 in Rivers, and 1204 in Federal Capital Territory. The most common hotspots were those frequented by female sex workers (9593/13,899, 69.0%), followed by people who inject drugs (2729/13,899, 19.6%) and men who have sex with men (1577/13,899, 11.3%). Although hotspots were identified in all local government areas visited, more hotspots were found in metropolitan local government areas and state capitals.ConclusionsThe number of key population hotspots identified in this study is more than that previously reported in similar studies in Nigeria. Close collaboration with key population–led community-based organizations facilitated identification of many new and previously undocumented key population hotspots in the 7 states. The smaller number of hotspots of men who have sex with men than that of female sex workers and that of people who inject drugs may reflect the social pressure and stigma faced by this population since the enforcement of the 2014 Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, which prohibits engaging in intimate same-sex relationships, organizing meetings of gays, or patronizing gay businesses.

French participation in transnational migration networks: understanding city (dis)involvement and “passivism”

ABSTRACT Transnational city networks (TCNs) bring together the characteristics of both supranationalisation and subnationalisation processes. In the context of an increased securitisation and criminalisation of borders, several networks have become more vocal – particularly with the advent of the so-called ‘refugee crisis’ – advocating for inclusive changes in terms of immigration, integration, human rights protection and refugee resettlement. How do French cities position themselves in this context of increased transnational activism? In comparing the cases of Lyon, Nantes and Strasbourg and their respective involvement in TCNs over the last fifteen years, our findings indicate that instead of becoming increasingly active, French cities within European networks have developed three distinct processes of disinvolvement, which we identify according to their ‘neglectful,’ ‘testing,’ and ‘competing’ characteristics. We highlight the fact that, in some cases, the activities undertaken by municipal or metropolitan governments in city networks do not automatically lead to transnational ‘activism.’ They may instead be understood as forms of ‘passivism.’ Moreover, contrary to passivity, ‘passivism’ in these cases does not equal an absence of decision-making, leadership or responsiveness, nor does it refer to inertia or a distinctive approach towards refugees and asylum seekers (whether it be welcoming or exclusionary). Rather, ‘passivism’ refers to the agency of local actors in policy-making within a specific institutional context. Focusing on passivism highlights (i) the necessity to disentangle networks’ robustness from its membership, since networks might be robust despite the presence of disengaged members. It also underlines (ii) the effects of the politicisation of migration as illustrated by a change in agenda towards humanitarian issues and by the increased involvement of elected city officials, notably deputy mayors. Finally (iii), it stresses the lack of collaboration with civil society actors in the context of a greater visibility and activism of the French national state regarding the integration of newcomers.

Real-time taxi demand prediction using recurrent neural network

The study aims to predict the location of taxi users, based on an algorithm that was built using a map learning method, which is one of the techniques of deep learning. As the location data of taxi riders showed sequential characteristics over time, learning was performed using a recurrent neural network, which is suitable for predicting dynamic changes over time. The main data used in the analysis were the Seoul Metropolitan Government's taxi tachometer data. These data were collected over a span of six months, from February 2018 to July 2018. Seoul Metropolitan Government's building data and Seoul public transportation smart card data were used as secondary data sources to reflect taxi traffic characteristics. Deep learning results were reviewed using different accuracy values based on combinations of the data sources, such as taxi data only, taxi data and building data and taxi data and smart card data. As a result, the algorithm was able to accurately obtain the distribution of taxi passengers’ boarding positions compared to the actual taxi riding pattern through statistical analysis. On the basis of these predictions, the asymmetric characteristics of taxi traffic in terms of transport planning and management can be solved.

Relationships among Grades, Subjects, and Teaching Materials in the Practice Cases of Programming Education Promotion Schools Designated by Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Relationships among Grades, Subjects, and Teaching Materials in the Practice Cases of Programming Education Promotion Schools Designated by Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Consumption Response to Seoul's COVID-19 Shopping Coupons: Evidence from Consumer Data

This study measures the extent to which Seoul's COVID-19 shopping coupon program affects individuals' consumption. Unlike other COVID-19-related transfer programs, the Seoul Metropolitan government provides consumption coupons depending on income. We quantify the causal effect of Seoul's program by comparing eligible and ineligible groups using a difference-in-differences method. We find that the program increased consumption by 18% while it was ongoing and by 6% afterward. We find substantial heterogeneity in the treatment effects concerning recipients' income and consumption categories.

Text analysis of the minutes form the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s working group for home care

Text analysis of the minutes form the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s working group for home care

Surge Capacity and Mass Casualty Incidents Preparedness of Emergency Departments in a Metropolitan City: a Regional Survey Study.

BackgroundEmergency departments (EDs) generally receive many casualties in disaster or mass casualty incidents (MCI). Some studies have conceptually suggested the surge capacity that ED should have; however, only few studies have investigated measurable numbers in one community. This study investigated the surge capacity of the specific number of accommodatable patients and overall preparedness at EDs in a metropolitan city.MethodsThis cross-sectional study officially surveyed surge capacity and disaster preparedness for all regional and local emergency medical centers (EMC) in Seoul with the Seoul Metropolitan Government's public health division. This study developed survey items on space, staff, stuff, and systems, which are essential elements of surge capacity. The number of patients acceptable for each ED was investigated by triage level in ordinary and crisis situations. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed on hospital resource variables related to surge capacity.ResultsIn the second half of 2018, a survey was conducted targeting 31 EMC directors in Seoul. It was found that all regional and local EMCs in Seoul can accommodate 848 emergency patients and 537 non-emergency patients in crisis conditions. In ordinary situations, one EMC could accommodate an average of 1.3 patients with Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) level 1, 3.1 patients with KTAS level 2, and 5.7 patients with KTAS level 3. In situations of crisis, this number increased to 3.4, 7.8, and 16.2, respectively. There are significant differences in surge capacity between ordinary and crisis conditions. The difference in surge capacity between regional and local EMC was not significant. In both ordinary and crisis conditions, only the total number of hospital beds were significantly associated with surge capacity.ConclusionIf the hospital's emergency transport system is ideally accomplished, patients arising from average MCI can be accommodated in Seoul. However, in a huge disaster, it may be challenging to handle the current surge capacity. More detailed follow-up studies are needed to prepare a surge capacity protocol in the community.