The Changes of the Commutation Activity and the Socio-economicStructure in the Peripheral Zone beyond the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area

This paper aims at considering the socio-economic changes in the zone beyond the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area from 1965 to 1985. In recent urban studies in advanced countries, this zone is generally called an exurban area. This is a nonmetropolitan area by definition, but is functionally regarded as a part of a Metropolitan system. This analysis focuses upon the consideration of the change of the commutation activity, and the changes of the socio-economic structure by factor analysis, in order to examine the progress and the features of exurbanization in each sub-district. The commutation flow beyond each city in this area has grown for 20 years except in the mountain districts of southern Nara. The comunutation flow towards the Keihanshin metropolitan area has grown rapidly in the inner districts. The flow within each district has grown rapidly in the outer districts, even in the Awaji Island district. This phenomenon is due to the structural changes in employment and industry. The proportion engaged in the primary industry (based on working place), which didn't necessarily need commutation, has decreased rapidly from 29% to 9% in the past 20 years. But, except for the mountain districts, the proportion in the secondary industry increased from 36% to 4O% and one in the secondary industry increased from 36% to 40% and one in the tertiary industry increased from 36% to 51%. Thus, the commutation activity has grown, because many workers sought working places in other cities. In the mountain districts, which didn't develop as an exurban area, the rate of service industry in relation to recreation has increased. The result of a factor analysis divided the changes of this area into 8 main factors. These factors are as follows ; Factor 1) The growth of population and commuters and of the secondary industry. The high factor score areas of this factor are distributed in the outer districts which have some highway systems. Factor 2) The process of the mature as a suburban area. These are distributed in the inner districts. Factor 3) The activity of suburban agriculture. These are distributed in the Wakayama Kii-river district and the Awaji Island district. Factor 4) Depopulated Areas. These are distributed in the mountain districts of Nara. Factor 5) Sub Cnter in the exurban area. These are dotted in the core of the outer districts. Factor 6) The growth of the service industry. These are distributed in parts of the inner districts and the outer recreational areas. Factor 7) The high rate of office workers. These are distributed in parts of the inner districts. Factor 8) The commutation flows within an exurban area. These are distributed in two districts in Wakayama. As a result, the inner districts of this area were integrated into parts of a metropolitan system regarding the point of the function and the growth of the employment of white-collar. The outer districts haven't grown well considering the commutation flow towards a metropolitan area, but most of them have developed in the employment of blue-collar and have increased the commutation flows within each district.