Foreword

Compelling and engaging, this Handbook on Shrinking Cities addresses the fundamentals of shrinkage, exploring its causal factors, the ways in which planning strategies and policies are steered, and innovative solutions for revitalising shrinking cities. Chapters cover topics of governance, ‘greening’ and ‘right-sizing’, and regrowth, laying the relevant groundwork for the Handbook’s proposals for dealing with shrinkage in the age of COVID-19 and beyond

Foreword

Compelling and engaging, this Handbook on Shrinking Cities addresses the fundamentals of shrinkage, exploring its causal factors, the ways in which planning strategies and policies are steered, and innovative solutions for revitalising shrinking cities. Chapters cover topics of governance, ‘greening’ and ‘right-sizing’, and regrowth, laying the relevant groundwork for the Handbook’s proposals for dealing with shrinkage in the age of COVID-19 and beyond

Towards brighter futures for European small and medium-sized towns: What can social innovation contribute?

Social innovation has gained prominence in academic and societal debates recently, but its roots can be traced back much further back in time. Social innovation can mean different things in different contexts, ranging from small grassroots initiatives to systemic changes. So far, most social innovation projects, strategies and research take place either in large cities or in rural areas. There is much less attention for small and medium-sized towns, a settlement category often overlooked in urban and regional research more in general. However, a large share of Europe's urban settlements are small or medium-sized towns, and many of them are facing an uncertain future. Social innovation may offer good chances to improve the social sustainability and future perspectives of such places. In this chapter we support our argument with examples from the 'Bright Future for Black Towns' project about the future perspectives of small and medium-sized (post-)industrial towns in Europe

Variations of urban regrowth – systematising driving factors and contextual conditions: the European perspective

Across Europe, many formerly shrinking cities have started to grow again. Regrowth not only relates to population numbers but also to economic performance and is being mirrored in the increased attractiveness of those cities as places to live and work. Set against this background, the chapter analyses the factors driving regrowth in formerly shrinking cities across Europe. Based on an overview how regrowth after shrinkage as a phenomenon has developed during the last decades and giving some empirical examples as an illustration, it discusses the role and relevance of these driving factors, their interplay, and the impact of (local and supra-local) context. As part of a handbook of shrinking cities, the chapter systematically elaborates why some cities turned from population decline towards new growth while others did not. As a result, we also discuss what can be learned from our analysis for the wider urbanisation debate and the future of European urbanisation, particularly in light of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic