Changes in the Residents’ Consciousness due to Environmental Improvements After Consolidation of Municipalities

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the changes in the consciousness of residents due to environmental improvements after consolidation of municipalities. The focus of this research is to quantify both "increases in residents' satisfaction" and the "increased sense of unity in residents' consciousness" due to environmental improvements during the four years after consolidation. The city analyzed is Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, which has already carried out consolidation. In analyzing residents' consciousness, we performed factor analysis and covariance structural analysis using the results of surveys of residents' consciousness. The results of the analysis showed that (1) residents' satisfaction has increased, but (2) the sense of unity in residents' consciousness has not increased. This paper is intended to suggest that (1) residents' satisfaction can be increased by improving the environment for four years after consolidation, and (2) increasing the sense of unity in residents' consciousness by improving the environment for four years after consolidation is extremely difficult.