著者

Rydén Lars

出版者

Japan Association for Northern European Studies

雑誌

北ヨーロッパ研究 (ISSN:18802834)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.17, pp.1-9, 2021 (Released:2022-07-03)

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Living in the Safe and Just Space for Humanity is the double outcome needed to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN in 2015. We need both to stay within the planetary boundaries identified by a group of scientist in 2009 and reach the social goals of reducing poverty and hunger, safeguarding health, protecting equality, providing education etc of the 2030 Agenda. Goal 12 Responsible production and consumption has a central position among the SDGs. For cities goal 12 of resource management is dominated by energy, waste and water. Here we see much collaboration between cities and universities. While cities implement, universities and researchers develop and research the technologies needed. This may be of general character, but there are many cases where a close collaboration between a city and its university has developed. Cases to be examined include: Energy production and efficient use especially for heating; Waste management and biogas production from organic food waste to be used for the city buses; Mobility management and biking with a focus on improved conditions for biking to reduce car driving and air pollution while supporting health and wellbeing; Urban planning, densification and greening, analyzing the conflict between densification and urban green as well as how building multifamily housing in wood reduces climate impact and makes more sustainable housing.

著者

Chino Yabunaga

出版者

Japan Association for Northern European Studies

雑誌

北ヨーロッパ研究 (ISSN:18802834)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.16, pp.91-102, 2020 (Released:2021-07-01)

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This comparative study examined the direction of welfare reforms across different levels of governments and investigated the welfare transition in Finland and Japan, based on the discussion by Sellers and Lidström (2007) and Häusermann (2011). Finland’s four cases revealed some variations in both the central–decentral direction and the retrenchment or protection type of welfare transition. With respect to the three Japanese cases, the reforms demonstrated a tendency in transferring municipality tasks to second-tier authorities and they indicate a retrenchment or protection type of welfare transition. The fundamental purpose and motivation of the reforms were to maintain the lives of people in the welfare state with an ever-changing environment and an ageing population during austerity. Therefore, the nature of the reform cases in the two countries can be categorised as a protection type rather than a retrenchment type, although these reforms implied a centralised nature, which is an evident retrenchment type of welfare transition rather than a decentralised one. These reforms displayed the potential for service innovation and welfare development through the use of innovative Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) environments in a changing post-industrial society, especially in Finland.

著者

Bjørn Hvinden

出版者

Japan Association for Northern European Studies

雑誌

北ヨーロッパ研究 (ISSN:18802834)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.13, pp.1, 2017 (Released:2018-07-01)

著者

ケットゥネン ペッカ 藪長 千乃

出版者

Japan Association for Northern European Studies

雑誌

北ヨーロッパ研究 (ISSN:18802834)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.10, pp.25-34, 2014 (Released:2018-10-01)

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Mergers are seldom straight-forward, usually creating tension between the national and local levels and dividing political parties, with various interest groups, including the representatives of the local populace, attempting to influence the outcome of the process. In the 2000s, Finland and Japan experimented broadly with municipal amalgamation as a means for local government reform, but both ended with problems. We compare and explain those reforms by focusing on the respective political processes and interactions between the concerned political actors. The cases used in comparison represent very different cultures; hence the concepts of municipal autonomy or political power might be interpreted differently depending on the context. On the other hand, our analysis identifies both similarities and differences which can be discussed. We can see that municipal reforms resemble each other, and in particular, amalgamations as a solution for enlarging municipalities. Amalgamation processes are politically sensitive and often create both supporters and opposers. We see that political parties are important. In addition, councils seldom decide against the will of the majority of the citizenry, although the role of citizens can vary.