인구구조 변화 특성을 반영한 인구감소 지역의 유형화와 도시축소 실태 분석 연구

Abstract

Korea faced a demographic cliff due to its aging population and low birth rate from 2005 until 2015, creating issues regarding the reduction of cities and the downsizing of municipal areas. The aim of this study is to examine the population decrease and changes in the structure of the population across the country, and to analyze the urban reduction in areas at risk of population decrease. K-mean clustering was used to categorize 240 cities by using indexes that reflect population decrease and demographic structure change. Four types of clusters were revealed after the analysis: population reduction areas, population reduction risk areas, population low growth areas and population growth areas. Afterwards, a comparison of the demographic characteristics of each cluster was conducted, and the case areas were selected from the population reduction zones, in order to analyze the degree of urban reduction using economic and physical factors. It was found that despite the increase of the average annual population rate in certain areas, there was a economic and physical decline in cities due to changes in the population structure. Base on the changes in the demographic structure, suggestions were provided on the appropriate response to the destruction of small cities and provinces and the policies that need to be established.