| Vol. - No. | Vol.2 - No.2 |
|---|---|
| Date | Jun., 2013 |
| Title | Editor's Note |
| Contents |
Japan once was and still is one of the most populous East Asian countries. They are however now distressed about the decreasing of population, in particular, decreasing population in provincial towns. Young people in the local towns go out to megalopolises for universities or variety of jobs, and they never return to their home towns. Aged parents are left in the towns. Town tax income goes down with decrease of population and expenditure of community service goes up with increase of aged population. The problems are common in all the world countries. Japan only goes on ahead extremely. Lots of studies and arguments on these situations were and are done. A famous proposal of "compact city policy" is highlighted as a measure of realizing green city and also remedy for local town depopulation. To the editor's grief, there are little arguments where high-rising buildings are one of the most possible and direct solutions for "compact city". High-rise buildings can accommodate every function of local town in compact. When every function in town is converged in one building, there will be no needs for the town infrastructures. Only the least local street network, power grids, sewage line, telecommunication line which will connect high-rise buildings are used and the residual ones are intercity stout lines which would form the national framework. This issue specializes in planning and environmental engineering of high rise buildings. Tall buildings should be good measures for developing the green city or sustainable city. However tall buildings mean more dense lives in building and will lead to the complex problems of the building environmental engineering and planning. This issue focuses on the some of those problems and also the corresponding measures to be useful for the resolutions. There will be no end for the exploring such the studies. Continuous efforts on this aspect is surely required. Sincerely, Professor Shinsuke Kato Chief Editor in charge of this issue |