Starting next fiscal year City Hall will begin allowing the collection of rent for empty residences located within urbanization control zones, something that was previously restricted to prevent “unplanned residential development”. The City began designating urbanization control zones in 1970 in accordance with the City Planning Act, and they now cover 340 m2 of the city. The designations entailed strict regulations on residential buildings, including a ban on the collection of rent for empty houses. This is now considered one factor behind declining populations in parts of the city, and the City Development Council has been discussing changes to the regulations since last October. Despite an uptick in population throughout the city, the population within the urbanization control zones has fallen from 43,000 in 1995 to 38,000 in 2010. The City Hall budget for the upcoming fiscal year contains funds for initiatives related to the new relaxed rules. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 2/8
