Abstract
I. Research Origin
The so-called “holistic care living environment” refers to enhancement of humanistic concern. While designing for space or environment, the approach of taking healthy adult as the main target in the past shall be expanded to cover disabled people and the elderly with impaired mobility. The focus is to study and promote building architectures and urban environment that are suitable for everyone. Furthermore, related care service policy and technology plan should be coordinated so that all people can enjoy safe, convenient and friendly living environment regardless of their age, gender, physical and mental differences.
This research continues the cumulative results of “Holistic Care Architecture and Technology Plan” from 2008 to 2011. It further explores the preliminary study of key demonstration area in the “Holistic Care Living Environment Technology Plan” by taking the basis of building barrier-free living environment and moving towards the concept of universal design. Moreover, in coordination with relevant welfare policies and technology applications, the goal of building a safe, convenient and friendly living environment, which cares for all people and can be enjoyed by everyone, can be achieved.
II. Research Method and Process
The main objective of this research is to establish subjects, goals and achievements of this research regarding key demonstration area in the future for “Holistic Care Living Environment Technology Plan.” The major work of this year is to collect and archive documents and records by adopting the methods of documentary collection. The content and promotion cases of the “Traffic Barrier-Free Law” in Japan will be collected first and will be taken as research basis of technology plan for the next four years.
In recent years, Japan has implemented “Key Demonstration (Key Preparedness) Area.” First of all, the “Basic Conception of Moving Smoothly” was proposed and was executed based on the content and spirit of “Traffic Barrier-Free Law.” This research collects data of several implementation cases in order to understand the operation process of promoting new law and practical cases in Japan. The review of these cases can be used as research subjects and directions of key demonstration area in the “Holistic Care Living Environment Technology Plan”, which is a project of Architecture and Building Research Institute, Ministry of the Interior.
III. Important Findings
This research has studied content of laws and understood the actual implementation of the program, “Key Reorganization Area,” and the relationship between provisions in the “Related laws and regulations of promoting smooth movement for the elderly and disabled people by using public transportation facilities.” After conducting documentary collection and case analysis, there are some important findings in this research on ideas and key points of integration of barrier-free facilities and traffic environment design as well as selections and views of “Key Reorganization Area.” These findings can be used as reference to subsequent research regarding key demonstration area, which is an important part of the “Holistic Care Living Environment Technology Plan,” for the years from 2012 to 2016.
(1) The “Basic Policy of Smooth Movement Promotion” is set up by the Central Government of Japan mainly based on the “Related laws and regulations of promoting smooth movement for the elderly and disabled people by using public transportation facilities.” According to the purpose of the law, its policy can be summarized into several important aspects based on its execution:
1. Public transportation station
2. Road
3. Signal device, indicator system
4. Parking lot
5. City park
6. Building
(2) While the Japanese government is setting action on “Key Reorganization Area” implementation, a set of selected procedures and evaluation indicators has already established. Before selecting “Key Reorganization Area,” local Japanese government first reviewed various conditions and then converted these conditions into numerical objective indicators. Taking these indicators as basis, local government evaluated entire areas of the city and then selected areas as “Alternate Key Reorganization Areas” that had higher priority for reorganization from the viewpoint of the entire city. Among these “Alternate Key Reorganization Areas,” local government and various businesses would reach a common view on policy of “Basic Conception of Moving Smoothly” and then determine the “Key Reorganization Area.” In the meantime, policy time schedule of “Basic Conception of Moving Smoothly” would be set for each “Key Reorganization Area.” This complete set of selection mechanism and evaluation indicators can be used as a reference for local follow-up studies:
1. Setting objective indicators
2. Taking objective indicator as basis for evaluation
3. Selection of “Alternate Key Reorganization Areas”
4. The designated “Key Reorganization Areas”
5. Setting time schedule for “Basic Conception of Moving Smoothly”
IV. Main Recommendations
According to research findings, this research proposes the following recommendations on direction, content and goal of annual research project regarding key demonstration area in the subsequent “Holistic Care Living Environment Technology Plan” of Architecture and Building Research Institute, Ministry of the Interior. Immediate feasible recommendation, medium to long term recommendation and long-term recommendation are listed respectively in the following:
□Immediate feasible recommendation – To promote universal mechanism and responsibility of key demonstration area
Responsible Agency: Architecture and Building Research Institute, Ministry of the Interior
Supporting Agency: Construction and Planning Agency, Ministry of the Interior, Taiwan Railway Administration, Ministry of Transportation and Communications
In recent projects, related agencies as well as their authorities and responsibilities involving universal key demonstration areas will be clarified first in 2012. The research results of this year will be taken as basis, including the content and relationship between authority and responsibility of Japan’s “Traffic Barrier-Free Law,” collecting and archiving local related projects, such as urban and rural appearances, overall community development, universal design of station, etc. Integration suggestions of relevant laws and regulations will also be proposed in order to coordinate and integrate different projects. Additionally, recommendations on reorganization and integration of laws and regulations will be brought up to improve the poor situations of transverse relations among cross-sectors.
□Medium to long term recommendation - To construct local operation mechanism and evaluation indicator content for key demonstration area
Responsible Agency: Architecture and Building Research Institute, Ministry of the Interior
Supporting Agency: None
For mid-term projects (2013 – 2014), analysis of local characteristics, development of selection mechanism of key demonstration area, reference to “Long-term Reorganization Plan” of Japan and study of improvement principles by stages and districts will be implemented based on related case survey of Japan. Furthermore, while referring to current Japan evaluation indicator, coordinating with local laws and regulations as well as local characteristic survey (Anthropometry Research of Architecture and Building Research Institute), setting evaluation indicator and content, evaluating difference and territoriality between city and countryside based on different classes will be conducted in order to achieve effective promotion and implementation of the projects.
□Long term recommendation - To promote implementation of universal key demonstration area
Responsible Agency: Architecture and Building Research Institute, Ministry of the Interior
Supporting Agency: Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Construction and Planning Agency, Ministry of the Interior, local governments
In the final stage of “Holistic Care Living Environment Technology Plan” (2015 – 2016), transportation and construction businesses have been integrated in coordination with domestic reorganization. It is estimated that promotional plan will be implemented as subsidy case and appropriateness of evaluation indicator will be trackbacked and revised. Related application form, paperwork, undertaking agency and personnel management will be laid down. At the same time, propaganda and promotion will be conducted by taking brochure, website, mass media, video, briefing and training as ways of promotion.