| According to the reports of the Panel on Infrastructure Development in recent years、 future tasks of the green space conservation policy in Japan can be summarized in three points: 1) participation of NPOs and various other bodies、 2) utilization of the existing stock、 and 3) utilization of a historic and cultural heritage. Since investment capacity of the national and local governments is decreasing in Japan due to the sharp decrease in population and the progression of an aging society with fewer children、 it is important to establish a system to undertake parts of the green space conservation and other public services through the formation of partnership between the government、 NPOs and other bodies. Meanwhile、 in Britain、 the National Trust and other NPOs are fulfilling certain roles in the conservation and management of green spaces of natural and historical significance、 as well as in the opening of such a heritage to the public. In particular、 the conservation covenant/agreement system、 which is one of the legal powers bestowed upon the National Trust、 has served as an effective conservation tool while its functions are gradually altered. [*]This study reveals the characteristics and significance of the Trust’s conservation covenant/agreement system for a historic and natural heritage、 and discusses the feasibility of its application to the Japanese system from the viewpoint of increasing the role of NPOs in green space conservation. The Trust’s system is an extremely durable system in which covenants/agreements are concluded based on the consent of the owners of properties、 and the conservation obligations are then passed on to subsequent owners. The system expands the range of NPOs’ asset management、 including property transfer、 as the owners bear the maintenance and management costs while continuing to use the conserved heritage. The study points out the possibility of providing more permanent and open conserved green spaces to the public in Japan by facilitating NPO activities in green space conservation、 through improvements to the Civic Green Spaces System、 Green Space Agreement System and other systems implemented in accordance with the Urban Green Space Act. |
