ABSTRACT
Depopulation followed by empty households and vacant land are a major concern for the vitality of Japanese cities and urban households. In order to identify a solution, it is important to understand the land use change and the causes behind the change. In this chapter, we outline a new methodology using open geospatial data analysis such as LandTrendr and in combination with various tools within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) to outline change during a course of time. The historical statistical data from the city office will be used to back up our findings. The results are then compared with other similar approaches that are used in conventional studies. Based on the results of the comparative analysis, we outline how open geospatial data platforms can be a useful resource for understanding the vitality of a region.
