German Green Philosophy, Changing Urban Policy--April 1995

German Green Philosophy, Changing Urban Policy--April 1995

In the 1990s, Germany was undergoing its own evolution in terms of environmental policy, even as the end of the Cold War and the unification of East and West Germany lingered. Particularly noteworthy was the spread of the concept of "ecological modernization. This was a policy philosophy that sought to balance economic growth and environmental protection, a concept that was not yet common in Japan at the time. Based on this philosophy, Germany shifted its urban transportation policy to break away from the conventional car-based society, and actively promoted the development of bicycle paths, preferential public transportation, and the expansion of pedestrian spaces.

Behind these developments is the rise of the Green Party, a pro-environmental political party. The party gained some political clout at the local and federal levels and strongly promoted the introduction of renewable energy and waste reduction policies. In addition, the introduction of an environmental tax was increasingly discussed, and a shift to a more sustainable society was underway from the taxation system as well. These policy directions were linked to the high environmental awareness of citizens and supported by grassroots activities and cooperation with local governments.

These efforts were of great interest to Japanese local governments, especially Kyoto City and Yokohama City. At a time when Japan was moving away from economic supremacy, the German case was seen as an advanced model and was expected to influence future urban policies and environmental tax systems. Germany's urban policy attracted international attention because it was not limited to mere transportation issues, but also questioned the values of society as a whole.