Priority Research Issues

(1)Main policy theme to be considered at the decision of Priority Research Issues

Administration field of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is extremely diversified. Policy Research Institute for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will deal with the following policy themes for the meantime. Taking into consideration of these themes, PRILIT will decide the Priority Research Issues with the view to ensure the mission shown on 1. PRILIT will tackle with the survey research with the intention to exert its identity while promoting cooperation with academic sector and other research institutes.

Through the survey research PRILIT will take heed to be qualified to the support towards policy evaluation in internal subdivisions.

　1）Conservation and creation of the beautiful and agreeable environment

Since the end of 20th century, the world is facing the new kind of environmental problem such as global warming etc.. Movement towards reconsideration of mass production and consuming society is spreading not only in the field of energy but also in the products. Control of waste generation and promotion of recycling is now our urgent issue.

Under such circumstances, it is required to promote the policy researches which qualify to the conservation and the creation of the beautiful and agreeable environment, through the aim to construct the sustainable socio- economy, the construction of the structure of city and national land including the social capital and the construction of efficient logistic system and so on aiming at the creation of the circulation society.

　2）Realization of the lively daily life of the independent individual

While the concentration of population and industries in the city during the high economic growth era have motivated the economic growth of our country, problems such as housing, commuting, and traffic jam etc. have become prominent and are still in condition hardly been solved. Also, with the advent of aging society, every aspect of barrier-free life will be necessary including transfer constraint persons. Moreover, in suburban cities, various strains, such as sprawl of urban areas and decline of the city center, become pronounced and we are also facing the problems of national land structure such as decrease in production due to the outflow of labor population from suburban area to the cities as well as progress in aging.

Under such circumstances, it is necessary to promote the policy researches which qualify to ensure the lively daily life of the independent individuals. Such policy researches are concerning the improvement of the metropolitan system, the realization of transportation system, and the ideal social infrastructure and so on which support the vitality of society.

　3) Construction of efficient and effective socio-economic administration system

It is pointed out that the long term depression of our economy is not merely due to the prolonged economic cycle, but due to the change of the economic structure itself. There is an anticipation of depopulation in the near future caused by the continuous low birth rate and longevity while worsened non-performing loan problems and mobility of employment are accelerating owing to the progression of deflation. Also the environmental change surrounding the corporate management and hollowing-out of domestic manufacture caused by globalization, are progressing. Moreover, the shift over customer-focused and results-oriented administrative management opened to the public is required in the administration department.

In order to open the new growth in the 21st century, it is necessary to promote the policy researches qualified to the construction of effective and efficient socio-economic system and administration system.

(2)Immediate priority research issues

Based on the above method of thinking, the priority research issues of PRILIT for the next 3-5 years are summarized below.

　1) Analysis of the trend in social economy and presentation of long-term prospects

　　�@）Countermeasures against the new environmental problems

PRILIT will proceed with research studies , what policy effects a variety of systems and measures should bring about , concerning the shape of the environmentally-friendly city,　national land structure and efficient promotion means of reverse logistics, what kind of impacts a new city,　national land structure　and transport,　logistic system, including a social capital improvement , should make on social economy, etc.. PRILIT will also pay attention to the comprehensive evaluation of various environmental policies, the sustainability of the region, the land use, the trends in life style of consumption behavior, etc. when research studies.

　　�A）Realization of transport, logistic system supporting a wealthy and vital society

PRILIT will conduct research studies on the ensuring of the seamless traffic, the creation of multimodal transport system, the analysis of a variety of systems and incentives towards the formation of barrier-free environment, the formation of intelligence infrastructure for establishment of a customer-focused transport, logistic system, etc. through industry-university-government exchanges or pilot programs, etc. . Additionally, in the modern era of expanding globalization, the research study how the transport, logistic system should promote international exchange between “people” and” goods” will be proceeded with.

　　�B）Clarification of the urban system and presentation of the direction

PRILIT will clarify analytically the structure of various complicated problems the city system of our country is facing, which the change in socioeconomic circumstances, etc. should result in the recline of vitality and charm of the city and proceed with research studies to clarify the direction of urban policy, which should be addressed for the future from the point of view of city management.

　　�C）Presentation of a paradigm of social capital improvement

PRILIT will proceed with research studies on the analysis of the relationship between the economic development, the improvement of the quality of life, etc., and the social capital, the estimate of the level of social capital stock and the investment amount of the maintenance, updating needed for the future, the financial resources of social capital improvement and the way of securing funds for them and the whole concept of improvement entity, etc., and its assessment. Additionally, research studies on the analysis of the effect that the software and hardware policies related to social capital on the integration of industry and functions would have and the international comparative analysis of public investment level of our country, etc, should be proceeded with.

　　�D）Utilization of information and communication technology（IT）

PRILIT will consider the whole concept of measures related to the digitization in public services, the facilitation of the movement utilizing the IT, such as ITS, and the various activities involving the movement, and carry out research and development of the pioneering technologies that will realize active life and give the people the vision of their future through industry-university-government exchange and pilot program, etc.. Additionally, PRILIT will proceed with research studies how the legal system relating to privacy and consumer protection should function, required with the progress of the utilization of IT.

　2) Analysis of an objective policy effect by a variety of methods of analysis

　　�@) Promotion of empirical analyses including a spatial economic analysis

PRILIT proceed with the positive analyses of the policy effect by use of a variety of analytical methods, such as the economic effects of various software and hardware policies, the relationship between the integration mechanism and a variety of functions, the correlation between transport and land-use, etc., in order to promote the policy formation to create better conditions for the “Place” and “Space” needed to improve the quality of life and strengthen the economic base.

　　�A）Research studies on pioneering analytical methods and the accumulation of knowledge

PRILIT will proceed with research studies on pioneering analytical methods, such as the physical and emotional impacts on the users affected by the traffic, the analysis of the correlation between weather and traffic, the risk management of real option, etc., the development of the simulation model of social capital improvement, etc., and accumulate the knowledge about a variety of analytical methods.

　3) Research studies on new administrative methods both in Japan and overseas

　　�@）Administrative management

PRILIT will promote the accumulation of the initiatives of advanced administrative management reform in Japan and overseas, the research study how the organizational operation including the private sector should function and also the assistance for the parties concerned, etc. to implement a policy evaluation to respond effectively to the administrative needs of the people and execute efficient and effective administrative management open to the public based on the basic theory of business administration and economics. The role of government and citizens and the change of the framework of the market should be noted when research studies.

　　�A）Administrative method based on the public-private partnership, etc.

PRILIT will promote research studies on the new administrative method and its comprehensive evaluation regarding the information sharing and communication with the public, etc. on the occasion of the social capital improvement management or the organization of the transport system and the shape of the role sharing between national or local governments and the public from the perspective of reproducing a better environment in the next generation and working on the construction of the natural symbiosis-based national land . In addition to this, PRILIT will work on research studies on the process of introducing, implementing a variety of policies as the specific system and the paradigm of the institutionalization