Abstract
<p>Assessing the relationship between human activities and natural conditions at the city scale is useful for urban planning and sustainable development. However, in Toyama City, Japan, where densely inhabited districts (DIDs) and depopulated areas coexist, spatial analyses of this relationship remain limited. To address this knowledge gap, this study presents a spatiotemporal analysis of the relationship between rail transport and vegetation cover in Toyama City. Railway use and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were used as proxies for human activity and natural conditions, respectively. Changes in these proxies during 2011–2023 were visualized using a geographic information system. Results revealed an increase in both proxies in the central areas of DIDs, while areas outside DIDs exhibited heterogeneous patterns. Outside DIDs included locations where both proxies decreased, while others showed increased passenger numbers but decreased NDVI. These findings indicate that the relationship between human activities and the natural environment does not change uniformly across a city. Notably, the improvements in this relationship in Toyama City may be attributed to compact urban development in certain areas. Overall, this study presents valuable insights for policymakers to develop effective strategies for urban planning and sustainable development.</p>