Requirements and Effectiveness of Cities

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03353
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Public law
• Research Institution: University of Shizuoka (2018-2021); Kyoto University (2017)
• Principal Investigator: KONISHI ATSUSHI 静岡県立大学, 経営情報学部, 教授 (10431884)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 地方自治法 / 市 / 町村 / 人口 / 要件 / 効果

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study attempted to clarify the significance of the distinction between cities and towns/villages in Japan's local government system by examining the requirements and effects of cities.
The main findings of this study are as follows. First, the most important requirement for a city under the current Local Autonomy Law is a population of 50,000 or more, which is a high hurdle in terms of the actual application of the city requirement provisions. Second, in many cases, towns and villages can have the same authority as a city if they wish, so the distinction between city and town/village is not significant in terms of the expansion of authority that is the effect of being a city.

Free Research Field

地方自治

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

研究成果の学術的意義は、第一に、市の要件規定について、これまでの規定変遷とその適用状況を悉皆的に示すことができたこと、第二に、市の効果について、網羅的に検討し、市と町村の区分の詳細を明らかにできたこと、であると考える。
社会的意義は、人口減少の我が国において、市とはどのような存在であるべきか、を考える素材を提供できたこと、であると考える。