When Kitagaki assumed the position of governor of Kyoto Prefecture, the town of Kyoto was losing its liveliness as an urban community because of population drain to Tokyo, Osaka and so on, which was caused by the transfer of the capital to Tokyo, and so on; and also because of industrial recession.
北垣が京都府知事に着任した頃の京都の街は、東京遷都などにより東京や大阪などへの人口流出、産業衰退により、都市としての活力が失われつつあった。