在宅高齢者のケアと商店街活性化を考慮したまちづくりの提案: 2商店街の事例に基づく議論

摘要

2007年9月の敬老の日に総務省が発表した65歳以上の高齢者数は，2，744万人であり，総人口に占める割合は21．5％となり，人口数，比率とも過去最高になっている．一方，居住域の郊外への転移やモータリゼーションの影響によって，郊外を中心に巨大な駐車場を備えた大型ショッピングモールが乱立し，さらにインターネット販売，カタログ通販やインターネット注文で，最寄りの店から品物を配達するネットスーパーも活発になり，地域の商店街は人通りも減少し，空洞化に歯止めがかからない．しかし，商店街は車を運転できない地域の高齢者や生活弱者の生活必需品購入の唯一の生活ライフラインである．本研究では，九州の玄関口である，福岡県北九州市若松区と戸畑区の2カ所の商店街の来街者のアンケート調査研究に基づき，今後の高齢者など生活弱者のライフラインとしての商店街の維持や地域活性化を促すための施策について検討する．%According to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on Respect for the Aged Day in September, 2007, the number of aged people (over 65 years) in Japan is 27.44 million, a figure estimated to be 21.5% of the total Japanese population. This figure and percentage are the highest ever recorded.rnAt the same time, due to the influence of the shift of residential areas to the suburbs and more automobiles, there are many large shopping malls with spacious parking lots operating mainly in suburban areas. In addition, Internet sales and catalog mail orders are increasing in popularity. On this basis, in local shopping areas, there is less traffic and a trend of slowing business that cannot be stopped. However, as places where daily necessities can be bought, local shopping areas are a lifeline for aged people who cannot drive.rnIn this paper, we discuss the policy to maintain local shopping areas as a lifeline for vulnerable people such as aged, and revitalize local shopping areas. This is based on questionnaires to visitors of two local shopping areas in Tobata-ku and Wakamatsu-ku in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, which is referred to as the gateway to Kyushu.