Application of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for Regional Development: Case Studies in Integrated Functional Approach

This paper evaluates the application of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) specifically as a part of regional development. Although ITS has been extensively studied in the context of city-wide developments, research on such developments for the regional enhancement is scarce. Importantly, transportation development for regional areas differs to that of traditional urban provinces. Whilst the transportation developments in urban areas need to concentrate on a range of diverse community requirements, for regional areas, such population are less diverse and more alike. Consequently, developed ITS in the regional areas needs to concentrate on more homogeneous communities and their needs. There are many factors influencing regional transportation developments, however functionality is one of the most critical aspects. Although functionality is an important aspect of all developments, it is considered to be the most crucial factor for regional areas. Fittingly, this paper will examine some of the most important transportation functionality issues for regional areas. To further explore this theme, the surrounding areas of Fukushima and Tokyo were studied to highlight their regional transportation requirements. These two case studies were then compared using factor analysis method. The comparison generally found that, due to its geographical location Fukushima aligned its regional functionalities more broadly. Further, this paper proposes a streamlined approach to analyze the successful application of transportation development in the Fukushima and Tokyo regional areas. To do so, an integrated functional approach was carefully undertaken. The proposed approach specifically focused on incorporating mobility and ITS as the key ingredients for the regional developments. It was found that, such integrated functional approach would therefore increase innovation and productivity as the result of successful application of ITS for regional development.