Spatial Planning Platform National Spatial Policies for Building Sustainable Regions through Flows of People

In recent years, unplanned development and rapid urban expansion have become major challenges in many developing countries. The formulation of spatial planning represents an effective response to these challenges. In this context, in 2018, the Government of Japan (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), in collaboration with the UN‑Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, established the Spatial Planning Platform (SPP) to support the formulation and implementation of national and regional spatial policies through meetings, websites, and other means. This event will be held as an SPP-related event, and participants are expected to engage in active exchanges of views and discussions based on presentations of good practices and advanced initiatives by member countries and related organizations. Specifically, discussions will focus on policies that can help create and expand human mobility toward regions outside major cities, as a means of appropriately addressing and mitigating national land‑related challenges such as excessive concentration in urban areas and the decline of rural regions. From Japan, the policy of “dual habitation” will be introduced. Dual habitation refers to a lifestyle in which people maintain a living base (including hotels and similar accommodations) in a specific area separate from their primary place of residence. The concept of dual habitation contributes to further strengthening the urban‑rural linkages advocated by UN‑Habitat, and its promotion offers a variety of benefits and potential value for both society and individuals. For example: By generating flows of people toward regional areas, it can help secure regional human resources, generate demand through consumption, foster new businesses and successors, generate employment, and create and expand “a population with strong relationship to the areas” that maintains continuous engagement with local communities. By alleviating urban overcrowding while making use of diverse natural and cultural capital across the national land, it can further strengthen international competitiveness. It enables improvements in well‑being through the realization of diverse lifestyles, new ways of living and working, and the creation of new learning opportunities. It also contributes to building redundancy and resilience against sudden crises and disruptions, such as natural disasters and the COVID‑19 pandemic.