theme

Research on the protection, management, use, and utilization of personal information in accordance with the enforcement of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures (Number Act)

Principal Investigator

Akihiro Saeki (Professor, Faculty of Law, Doshisha University)

Research Summary

There is room for the My Number system, which will start in 2015 and will be enhanced, to be enhanced by local governments enacting their own ordinances. Therefore, based on the actual situation in Kyoto City, we will narrow down the issues that are expected to be solved by the use of the Number Act, and examine what kind of ordinances are necessary to enact in order to improve the convenience of citizens and the efficiency of administration.

theme

Empirical research on the development of merchants and citizens and the formation of networks by creating opportunities for exchange

Principal Investigator

Masanobu Nishimura (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Craft and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology)

Research Summary

We will conduct empirical research to foster and form networks with merchants, businesses, and citizens who promote the rediscovery and creation of “regional value” through “creating a place for exchange” that takes advantage of the attractiveness of local resources accumulated in the city center.

Specifically, the following forums will be created experimentally to verify effectiveness and examine sustainable mechanisms.

(1) A place for “learning” and “network formation” where merchants, businesses, and citizens interact and connect

(2) A place of “matching” between vacant stores and large stores and attractive merchants

(3) A place for “cultural creation” and “community building” where a variety of citizens, such as merchants, young people, artists, and designers, interact and create a theme of interest

theme

Analysis of trends in employment after university graduation of international students and research on support measures in local governments, companies, and universities

Principal Investigator

Kazuhiko Ishihara (Director, Career Center, Ritsumeikan University, Professor, Faculty of Policy Science)

Research Summary

Through surveys of international students and companies in Kyoto, mainly at Ritsumeikan University, we will clarify the attitudes and behaviors of international students toward employment. Specifically, we will investigate the motivation and future prospects of international students who want to work for Japan companies, and the companies will investigate the abilities they are looking for in international students and their expectations for hiring. We will analyze these issues and consider employment support measures for international students and capacity building programs for companies through collaboration between universities, companies, and governments.

theme

Spatial Composition and Transition in Municipal Housing and Surrounding Residential Areas in the Suburbs of Kyoto City

Principal Investigator

Tetsuya Masaki (Doctoral Candidate, Graduate School of Craft Sciences, Kyoto Institute of Technology)

Research Summary

Regarding the relationship between municipal housing distributed in the suburbs of Kyoto City and the surrounding areas, we will set up several municipal housing complexes in Yamashina Ward and Fushimi Ward as fields, and clarify the continuity between the use of outdoor space and the surrounding residential areas. To this end, (1) the exterior of the building in contact with the housing complex, (2) the use of open space in the complex, and (3) the condition of the site boundary will be recorded and collected on-site.

The results of the survey on the use of open spaces and how they blend in with the surrounding area will be used in the development and reorganization of municipal housing in the future.

theme

Research on next-generation citizen collaboration policies utilizing the “Future Center” in Kyoto City

Principal Investigator

Hideki Sugioka (Lecturer, Faculty of Public Policy, Kyoto Prefectural University)

Research Summary

Focusing on the “Future Centers*” and “Future Sessions,” which have been attracting attention in recent years as methods for solving problems, we will clarify the current situation and issues in the sectors of industry, academia, government, and NPOs in Japan. In addition, by conducting a future session on a trial basis based on a survey of the current status of Kyoto City’s citizen collaboration policy, we will make recommendations on next-generation citizen collaboration policies using the Future Center in Kyoto City.

* A method in which diverse stakeholders gather across organizations, engage in future-oriented dialogue and create relationships, and take coordinated actions according to the ideas that emerge from them.

theme

The Environment of Residential Gardens in Kyoto City and the Impact of Its Reduction on the Biota of City Blocks

Principal Investigator

Shozo Shibata (Professor, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University)

Research Summary

Based on the results of the research obtained last year, this year we will evaluate the characteristics of residential gardens, which are one of the elements that make up urban greenery, and the impact of the continuity of greenery on the biota of city blocks, and based on the results, we will show the role that residential gardens play in the conservation of biodiversity in the urban area of Kyoto.

Specifically, we will evaluate the green potential of residential gardens from multiple perspectives by analyzing the continuity and area change of green spaces using GIS, comparing a resident questionnaire on the biota of the target area, and the results of planting surveys in the newly established area within the target area.