Month: December 2011

EVALUATING ROAD NETWORK IMPROVEMENT: ECONOMIC IMPACTS ON SAN-EN REGION IN JAPAN

Yasuhiro HIROBATA

Graduate School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology

1-1, Tempaku, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Aichi, Japan. e-mail: hirobata@ace.tut.ac.jp

Yuzuru MIYATA

Graduate School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology

1-1, Tempaku, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Aichi, Japan. e-mail: miyata@ace.tut.ac.jp

and

Hiroyuki SHIBUSAWA

Graduate School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology

1-1, Tempaku, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Aichi, Japan. e-mail: hiro-shibu@tut.ac.jp

Abstract:

Japan’s economy is entering a new phase of economic growth after the so-called “lost 15 years” since 1990. Particularly Tokyo and Aichi prefectures have been drawing attention as engine of new economic growth in Japan. Although the recovery of Japan’s economy has resulted in an increase in the demand for transportation, construction of new roads in region-wide areas has been in a serious situation. It is attributed to a decreasing trend in Japan’s population and aging which will cause Japan’s national budget being reduced in the future. Due to this situation, stricter economic assessment of new roads development in region-wide areas has particularly been required than before. Taking into account these backgrounds, this article aims to present a model integrating the equilibrium concepts of economic and transport network. Moreover this model will be able to be extended into a full spatial equilibrium model. And then setting San-En region in Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures as a study area which consists of many urban and countryside areas, this study also aims to measure the economic impacts of construction of new roads development in this region.

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NEW SOCIAL RISKS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN AREA

Lubor Hruska-Tvrdy and Ivana Foldynova

VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17.listopadu 15

Ostrava-Poruba, 70833, Czech Republic

 Abstract:

New social risks are key factors for social cohesion of local community and society. Currently new social risks which are caused by changes in a society appear more frequently than before. While previously the groups of underprivileged were counted in endangered groups, now the middle class can be affected as well. This report shows a spatial distribution of these risks. How to obtain this result is shown on a particular example of the city of Ostrava. This report seeks to establish future influence of industrial city cohesion. Mainly processes of industrialization and deindustrialization are examined in a detail, especially their effect on demo-social structure of the city.The results are based on the research of the project called „Industrial society in a postindustrial city“ under which there were large sociological research of Ostrava and a long term monitoring of statistical indicators carried out.All social problems lead to inability to retain basic residential standards. Social risk distribution is surveyed in Ostrava however the context of larger area (the Moravian-Silesian Region) is also taken into consideration.

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THE ROLE OF ICTS IN REGIONAL TOURIST DEVELOPMENT

Katsoni Vicky, MBA, Ph.D,

Lecturer, Dept. of Hospitality and Tourism Management,

School of Business and Economics,TEI of Athens,

Ag.Spyridonos and Milou 1, Aigaleo Campus,

Athens 122 10 – Greece, E-mail:katsoniv@teiath.gr

Abstract:

Advances in electronic-based information and communication technologies (ICTs) are rapidly transforming social and economic conditions across the globe. As the cost of ICTs continues to fall and their capabilities increase, their applications are becoming even more vital to all sectors of the economy and society. Developments and continued growth in ICT and its application in the tourism sector have empowered the tourism consumer and are driving significant change within the tourism industry. The increasing spread and uses of ICT create new opportunities for countries to harness these technologies and services to promote social and economic development and human justice. Given the growing importance of technology in all organizational functions and areas, organizations can either adapt to technological changes or will have to face a decline in their organizational viability. This article is concerned with the administration of ICT in tourism regional planning and the concept of organizational change. The paper explores areas of ICT literacy, and concludes that a number of challenges must be addressed if the full benefit of the use and application of ICT in tourism. The article draws the attention of all the stakeholders in the tourism sector to the need to support and promote ICT as the most effective tool for tourism regional planning, tourist information access and dissemination as well as the tourism regional development participants need for organizational change.

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