Both EU and Japan have high urbanisation rates and a wealth of experience with establishing urban structures able to adapt to medium and long-term socio-economic changes such as an ageing and declining population, and the related challenges which are common to both the EU and Japan as the economic consequences of a declining workforce, spatial planning and housing or transport and mobility consequences.
- 14 December 2021
Both EU and Japan have high urbanisation rates and a wealth of experience with establishing urban structures able to adapt to medium and long-term socio-economic changes such as an ageing and declining population, and the related challenges which are common to both the EU and Japan as the economic consequences of a declining workforce, spatial planning and housing or transport and mobility consequences.
Japan is one of the fastest ageing countries in the world, with more than a quarter of the population aged 65 years old or over, and as it is expected that the birth rate will continue to decline, population will continue to age over the coming decades. In Europe, the same trends are evident and discussions are intensifying on developing a system to ensure that the elderly receive appropriate social protection and have access to essential services.
Against this background, in the framework of the EU-Japan urban and regional policy dialogue, a joint study on demographic trends and on the territorial policies needed in response (both in urban and rural areas) to demographic change has been conducted.
Smart city policies in particular are an increasingly important mean of implementing policy responses to demographic trends, as well as to environmental challenges. Moreover, considering the fact that technology tends to be global, access to smart solutions is in many cases universally available, so that developments in one place can be implemented elsewhere and cooperation over innovations between cities, research institutes and companies is facilitated and frequent.
Concrete policy responses are analysed through different case studies (Bilbao, Genoa, Kortrijk and Zuid Limburg in the EU and Tokyo, Yokohama, Toyama, Tama New Town, Shimokawa and Minamiyamashiro in Japan).