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Summer high temperatures affecting urban areas pose a significant problem to human health. The Japanese megacity, Tokyo Metropolitan Area (TMA) in Kanto region, where significant urban shrinkage is expected to occur in the coming decades, is also vulnerable to such temperature issues. We investigated the impacts arising from changes in land use on future maximum surface air temperature ( T smax ) at the regional scale in Kanto region. For our numerical experiments, we introduced surface parameters ( i.e. , albedo, evapotranspiration coefficient, and heat capacity) into the Japan Meteorological Agency Non-Hydrostatic Model (JMANHM), used for operational weather forecasts in Japan. The impacts were estimated regarding several urban planning scenarios, in which the micro scale afforestation in TMA was considered, i.e. , compact-city, dispersed-city, and active afforestation. The obtained results indicated that the afforestation might decrease T smax , and active afforestation within a compact-city scenario was the most effective for reducing T smax in Kanto region. Our findings also revealed a relatively smaller afforestation impact on T smax values in the coastal areas ( e.g., Kanagawa) than those affecting inland regions ( e.g., Saitama and Tokyo). In coastal areas located upwind of Kanto region, only local afforestation affected T smax . On the other hand, in inland zones, located on the downwind side of Kanto region, afforestation in both local and upwind areas contributed to a decrease in T smax . Consequently, the impacts of afforestation were larger in inland areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable management and informed policy making at the sub-national level requires an understanding of regional resource base regeneration and the demand it places on wider geographical areas. Ecological Footprint is one of the most widely used and accepted ecological accounting methodologies and available for calculating multiple consumption categories such as food, housing and transportation. Japan's 47 prefectures are diverse in their urbanization and ageing situations and provide an opportunity for understanding the relationship between regional socioeconomic and demographic factors and Ecological Footprint outcomes. To assess potential environmental impacts and planning implications of future urbanization and ageing, we analyzed the existing relationships between the proportion of urban and elderly populations and incomes, and the total and categorical Ecological Footprint per capita. We used a standard top-down scaling methodology to quantify the Ecological Footprint of prefectures, that included three steps: 1) acquiring national level data of Ecological Footprints, 2) applying environmental extended multi-regional input-output model to derive Ecological Footprint values by economic sector, and 3) scaling down Ecological Footprints to the prefecture level with household expenditure survey and other data sources. We show that Ecological Footprint per capita varies considerable among prefectures, being highest in Tokyo (5.24 global hectare) and lowest in Yamanashi (4.06 global hectare). Prefectures with a higher proportion of urban and elderly population had high total and food Ecological Footprint per capita. Prefectures with higher income per capita also had higher total and food Ecological Footprint per capita. Lower Ecological Footprints of less urbanized prefectures provide an argument for economic decentralization. Policy makers in ageing regions should consider supporting local food activities with elderly populations, as processed food dominates majority part of the food Ecological Footprint. • A replicable top-down Footprint approach was used for Japan's 47 prefectures. • Ecological Footprint varied considerable among prefectures. • Total and food footprints increase with urbanization, ageing and income. • Economic decentralization & local food are key regional sustainability strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]