Introduction

We aim to construct mathematical models using operations research methods to address various social and urban issues and to design appropriate planning proposals. Our research focuses on the evaluation and design of urban infrastructure, including problems such as the optimal location of various urban facilities and the determination of the appropriate scale and structure of transportation networks. In recent years, we have been working on proposing solutions through mathematical approaches for creating pedestrian-friendly, safe urban environments and envisioning sustainable cities in an era of population decline. Furthermore, through empirical analyses utilizing open data, we seek to provide policy insights into the evaluation and management of social systems.

■Mathematical Models and Applications for the Optimal Design of Urban Infrastructure
・Research Objective:We developed mathematical models for the optimal placement of service facilities to ensure that travelers within a city can access appropriate services along their routes. These models address a variety of practical scenarios, such as selecting the locations of shops with probabilistic stopovers, positioning facilities to enhance traveler safety, identifying optimal points for providing information, and determining the location of train stations that are convenient for stopovers. Through empirical analysis, we revealed the key characteristics of optimal placement strategies. This research has broad societal applicability, providing valuable insights for urban planning, transportation, and public service provision.
- Title: The probabilistic minisum flow interception problem: minimizing the expected travel distance until intercept under probabilistic interception,K. Tanaka, O. Kurita (Geographical Analysis) Vol. 52, 2020, pp. 211-230.
- Title: Toriumi: Railway flow interception location model: Model development and case study of Tokyo metropolitan railway network,K. Tanaka, T. Furuta and S (Operations Research Perspectives) Vol.6, 2019, 100085.

■Theory and Application of Comfortable and Safe Spatial Design from the Pedestrian's Perspective
・Research Objective:We addressed the challenge of designing safe, comfortable, and vibrant urban environments for pedestrians using mathematical approaches. Specifically, we formulated a variational problem to identify city shapes that maximize the number of walk-only trips based on Manhattan distance and analyzed the properties of the resulting optimal solutions. Additionally, we proposed a bi-objective model that minimizes both the total risk and the total walking distance for all children. This model outperformed the route plan, where each child follows the shortest path from school to home.
- Title: City shapes that maximize the number of walking-only tripsbased on Manhattan distance,S. Misaki and K. Tanaka (Journal of Advanced Mechanical Design, Systems, and Manufacturing) Vol. 14, 2020, JAMDSM0075.
- Title: A bi-objective optimization model for designing safe walking routes for school children,K. Tanaka, R. Miyashiro and Y. Miyamoto (Geographical Analysis) Vol. 48, 2016, pp. 448-464.

Areas of Research

・Modeling and optimization of social systems
・Optimal location analysis of urban facilities
・Pedestrian-oriented urban design
・Design of urban infrastructure for an aging society
・Spatial data science

Social Contributions

・Pursuing the design of sustainable urban and infrastructure systems through mathematical approaches
・Designing comfortable, safe, and human-centered urban environments from a pedestrian perspective
・Empirically analyzing the social dynamics and organizational patterns using open data