The Metropolitan Regions. Regional Policy and the Decentralized Regional Structure in Germany

• Project/Area Number: 15K03591
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Economic history
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan University
• Principal Investigator: Yamai Toshiaki 立命館大学, 経済学部, 教授 (10230301)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
• Keywords: メトロポリタン・リージョン / 地域政策 / 地方自治 / 民主主義 / Verband Region Stuttgart / シュトゥットガルト21 / 国土計画 / ドイツ / シュトゥットガルト地域連合 / グローバル化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Since the 1990s, German regional policy experienced a remarkable change. In contrast to the regional policy in the previous years, which mainly pursued to mitigate the regional disparity and to maintain and construct a decentralized regional structure, the focus of the policy now moved rather to promote the development of key areas that could be footholds of German economic development in the global locational competition: The eleven Metropolitan Regions that were designated by the federal government since 1995 were to be such areas and expected to be the "motors" of German social, cultural and economic development. Focusing on one of these areas, the Stuttgart Metropolitan Region, and the "Stuttgart 21", a gigantic redevelopment project in the Stuttgart area, this study investigated the German regional policy and especially issues related to democracy in the regional development.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

メトロポリタン・リージョンについては、ドイツではとくに経済地理学の分野で早くから研究がなされてきた。そこでは、国際的立地競争の拠点としての機能をそれぞれの地域がどれほど果たしえているかの検証に重点がおかれている。これに対して、地方自治・民主主義の問題を検討の軸に据えたところに本研究の特色がある。政府の「地方創生」事業や、人口減に伴う「自治体消滅」の予測などが示すように、地域形成の問題は日本の将来にとって喫緊の課題であり続けている。本研究が明らかにしたドイツの経験は、日本にとっても重要な示唆を与えてくれるだろう。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Metropolitan Regions and Municipal Autonomy: Regional Policy and Democracy in Germany since 1990s (2019)
  • Author(s): Toshiaki Yamai
  • Journal Title: C. Schmidt, ed., Crisis of Democracy? Challenges, Risks and Changes, New Castle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing Volume: - Pages: 221-238
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] ＜書評＞柳澤治『ナチス・ドイツと中間層――全体主義の社会的基盤――』 (2017)
  • Author(s): 山井敏章
  • Journal Title: 歴史と経済 Volume: 237 Pages: 71-72
• [Journal Article] Easternization? A Historical Perspective (2016)
  • Author(s): Toshiaki Yamai
  • Journal Title: 立命館経済学 Volume: 64-6 Pages: 121-129
  • Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] Metropolitan Regions and Municipal Autonomy: Regional Policy in Germany since the 1990s (2018)
  • Author(s): Toshiaki Yamai
  • Organizer: Deutsch-Japanische Gesellschaft fuer Sozialwissenschaften
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Easternization? Reascendance of East Asia in a Historical and Societal Perspective (2016)
  • Author(s): Toshiaki Yamai
  • Organizer: Japan-Romania-Cross Point in a Global Context 2016
  • Place of Presentation: Romanian-American University, Bucharest
  • Year and Date: 2016-05-08
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Easternization? A Historical Perspective (2015)
  • Author(s): Toshiaki Yamai
  • Organizer: The 10th International Conference on the "Regional Innovation and Cooperation in Asia"
  • Place of Presentation: Bangkok, NIDA (National Institute of Development Administration)
  • Year and Date: 2015-11-27
  • Invited
• [Book] 資本主義の歴史――起源・拡大・現在―― (2018)
  • Author(s): ユルゲン・コッカ（山井敏章訳）
  • Total Pages: 225
  • Publisher: 人文書院
  • ISBN: 9784409510803
• [Book] 「計画」の20世紀――ナチズム・＜モデルネ＞・国土計画 (2017)
  • Author(s): 山井敏章
  • Total Pages: 248
  • Publisher: 岩波書店