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Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 54576

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Prof. Dr. Karina Pallagst

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Guest Editor

Department International Planning Systems, Faculty of Urban and Environmental Planning, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Pfaffenbergstr. 95, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
Interests: comparative urban and regional development; shrinking cities; regional policies; border studies; green infrastructure; structural change
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Dr. Helen Mulligan

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Guest Editor

Cambridge Architectural Research Limited, 25 Gwydir St, Cambridge CB1 2LG, UK
Interests: shrinking cities; sustainable urbanism; climate responsive design; energy efficiency in the building stock; energy policy; green finance

Prof. Dr. Beatriz Fernandez Agueda

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Guest Editor

Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), 54 boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris, France
Interests: metropolitan development; shrinking cities; comparative urban planning; global studies; capital cities

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In ongoing discussions on urban planning and development, the term ‘shrinking city’ usually describes a densely populated urban area that has faced a considerable population loss, and is also currently undergoing profound economic transformations with some symptoms of a structural crisis [1]. Meanwhile, an extensive debate has arisen on shrinking cities, their challenges, policies, and efforts to maintain or regain quality of life.

Furthermore, shrinking cities are places where urban sustainability can be reinvented and where environmental issues are an important catalyst for change [2]. In a context where the land and population pressure is lower, they offer multiple opportunities for new uses of urban space. Reforestation and the development of urban agriculture are among the strategies that provide a new perspective for shrinking cities. They are also places to experiment with innovative environmental options, such as low-energy projects or new management processes in infrastructure networks.

Can shrinking cities, in a context of limited financial resources, be considered as opportunities with multiple modes of expression? Could shrinking cities encompass new spaces for creativity and sustainability, and what form will these initiatives take?

This Special Issue will focus on how the fate of shrinking cities depends on the way in which local, regional and national governance tackle the issue, with a particular focus on sustainability. We present a wide range of approaches to exploring and evidencing these questions, including case studies all over the world, embracing both quantitative and qualitative empirical research, as well as original contributions in the field of urban theory.

References

Pallagst, K. Shrinking Cities--Planning Challenges from an International Perspective. Urban Infill, Themenheft--Cities Growing Smaller; Kent State University: Cleveland, OH, USA, 2008; pp. 6-16.
Mulligan, H. Environmental Sustainability Issues for Shrinking Cities: US and Europe. In Shrinking Cities, International Perspectives and Policy Implications; Pallagst, K., Wiechmann, T., Martinez-Fernandez, C., Eds.; Routledge: Abingdon, UK, 2014; pp. 279-302.

Prof. Dr. Karina Pallagst
Dr. Helen Mulligan
Prof. Dr. Beatriz Fernandez Agueda
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Shrinking cities
Planning cultures
Planning policies
Green infrastructure
Sustainable urban development
Comparative urban development

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3702 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Substitute Industries for Revitalizing Shrinking Cities

by Jakob Schackmar, René Fleschurz and Karina Pallagst

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9250; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13169250 - 18 Aug 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2059

Abstract

In past decades, many cities and regions have underwent structural transformations—e.g., in old industrialized “rust belts” or in peripheral rural areas. Many of these shrinking cities have to face the challenges of long-term demographic and economic changes. While shrinkage is often related to post-industrial transformations in the USA, in other countries, such as Germany, for example, the causes are related to changing demographics with declining birth rates and the effects of the German reunification. Many cities have tried to combat shrinkage and have thus developed a variety of policies and strategies such as the establishing of substitute industries. To assess the sustainability of this approach, this paper investigates the cities of Cleveland, USA and Bochum, Germany in a comparative analysis following the most similar/most different research design. The paper shows that substitute industries might lead to new development paths for shrinking cities; however, whether these paths stimulate sustainable development is dependent on those who are benefiting from these developments and to what extent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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20 pages, 5410 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socio-Spatial Aspects of Shrinking Municipalities: A Case Study of the Post-Communist Region of North-East Poland

by Katarzyna Kocur-Bera and Karol Szuniewicz

Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2929; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13052929 - 08 Mar 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1507

Abstract

Urban shrinkage has become a common feature for a growing number of European cities and urban regions. Cities in Europe have lost populations during the previous few decades, many of them in the post-communist countries. A similar phenomenon has been observed in smaller units: municipalities and villages. Shrinking towns/municipalities/villages grapple with insufficiently used housing infrastructure, a decrease in labor force, investment and in the number of jobs. This analysis examines the socio-spatial factors present in municipalities in the north-east of Poland, which are expected to experience the greatest population decrease by 2030. The study focused mainly on determinants with the greatest impact on the good life standards. It also sought to answer why the population growth forecasts for these units are so unpromising. The findings have shown that the majority of determinants adopted in the conceptual model describing the good life standards are below the reference values. The applied taxonomic measure of good life standards (TMGL) method allowed for identifying five municipality clusters representing “different speeds” at which these forecasts are fulfilled. Two clusters have dominant determinants in five criteria and three clusters, in two criteria adopted in the conceptual model. The findings indicate that approx. 35% of the municipalities under analysis have a chance for stabilization of the population size, provided local stakeholders take some targeted actions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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15 pages, 3893 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Does the Location of Urban Facilities Affect the Forecasted Population Change in the Osaka Metropolitan Fringe Area?

by Haruka Kato

Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 110; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13010110 - 24 Dec 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2685

Abstract

This study aims to clarify the statistical causal relationship between the locations of urban facilities and forecasted population changes according to types of residential clusters in the Osaka Metropolitan Fringe areas. This paper’s background is the location optimization plan policy formulated by the Japanese MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism) in 2015. The methods combined urban ecological analysis, cohort analysis, and Bayesian network analysis. Using the Bayesian network analysis, the causal relationship between the forecasted population change ratio and the urban facility location was analyzed. The results suggest the location of urban facilities for each residential cluster that will prevent a rapid population decline in the future. Specifically, in the sprawl cluster, this study found that residential areas closer to medical facilities will sustain the future population, while in the old new-town cluster, this study found that residential areas closer to train stations will best sustain the future population. However, in the public housing cluster, residential areas more distant from regional resources will best sustain the future population. Therefore, it is worth considering different urban designs in the old new-town and public housing clusters, rather than the location optimization plan policy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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16 pages, 4865 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transforming Unused Spaces in a Shrinking City through Individuals’ Spontaneous Occupation Activities: The Case of Janghang, South Korea

by Jin-Wook Lee

Sustainability 2020, 12(16), 6621; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12166621 - 16 Aug 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2977

Abstract

This study examines individual occupancy of unused space from an urban management perspective. It also identifies measures for sustainable city management by exploring the changes in unused space and relationships between various stakeholders based on personal occupancy processes. The target area of this study is Janghang, which has been characterized by population decline and economic recession over the past decade. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling and informal interviews, and data were analyzed using the open coding method. The results of the study show that unused space was occupied for various purposes such as to harvest food, pursue leisure activities, and alleviate the adverse effects of spaces remaining unused for extensive periods. The results identified owners, occupants, public organizations, and neighborhoods as stakeholders in unused spaces. Moreover, the neglected unused space was maintained as a managed space through tacit consent as well as flexible negotiation and stakeholders’ collective consciousness. Agreement and coordination among stakeholders and the physical environment of the unused space are crucial factors in managing unused space and landscapes because of the differences between landowners and occupants in a shrinking city. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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20 pages, 2444 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Shrinking Historic Neighborhoods and Authenticity Dilution: An Unspoken Challenge of Historic Chinatowns in the United States through the Case of San Francisco

by Shuyi Xie and Elena Batunova

Sustainability 2020, 12(1), 282; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12010282 - 30 Dec 2019

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4223

Abstract

Despite a rising amount of urban shrinkage research, little attention is paid to the shrinking historic ethnic neighborhoods, where authenticity plays a vital role in maintaining local heritage, identity, and livability. This article concerns the historic Chinatowns in the United States that are largely confronting the evident decline of the ethnic Chinese population and authenticity dilution. Taking San Francisco’s historic Chinatown as a case study, the research portrays an alternative face of urban shrinkage at the neighborhood level with a specific integration of authenticity discourse. Through combining quantitative statistical analysis and qualitative research on the basis of interviews, the paper presents how neighborhood shrinkage and authenticity dilution are perceived and characterized and further reveals the interactive process of neighborhood shrinkage and authenticity dilution, and their impacts on social sustainability. The study also demonstrates the notable necessity and possibility to incorporate the issue of authenticity into the discourse of urban shrinkage, which enables a deepened understanding of the cumulative effects of urban shrinkage on local lives and social sustainability, and establishing a more comprehensive and targeted framework of strategies, particularly for those carrying significant social, cultural, and emotional meaning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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14 pages, 4706 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Different Factors Affecting Vacant Housing According to Regional Characteristics in South Korea

by Hyejeong Yoo and Youngsang Kwon

Sustainability 2019, 11(24), 6913; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11246913 - 04 Dec 2019

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4104

Abstract

In recent years, many cities in developed countries have struggled with housing vacancy. Empty homes are accompanied by social problems such as vandalism, arson, unsanitary environments, and collapse risk. Vacant houses also have negative effects on the value of nearby properties and their local communities. Accordingly, there have been various policy responses to tackle this problem. In spite of these efforts, however, the number of vacant houses continues to increase alongside a population decrease and imprudent developments. In South Korea, the number of vacant houses has increased since the 1990s, and central and local governments started developing plans and policies to resolve the problem from 2010. However, most of these policies have many similarities regardless of their differing regional conditions and contexts. Housing vacancy varies according to regions, its magnitude, surrounding environments or housing types, and thus calls for multilateral approaches. This article, therefore, aims to identify distributional characteristics of vacant houses in South Korea, and categorize them into three groups with regional contexts using cluster analysis. The study further found that there are differences in affecting factors of vacant houses by type through the use of a multiple regression model. Based on the analysis, the ways of managing housing vacancy for sustainable development are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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17 pages, 3510 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Innovation Areas—En Route to Sustainability for Shrinking Cities?

by Karina Pallagst, José Vargas-Hernández and Patricia Hammer

Sustainability 2019, 11(23), 6674; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11236674 - 26 Nov 2019

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3821

Abstract

Green Innovation Areas have been developed in the US context of urban development in order to jump-start innovative solutions in abandoned areas. Prospective types of uses in these areas are not predetermined, but should be experimental and innovative. So far they can comprise vast greenhouse uses to less extensive clover fields, but their potential is not yet fully discovered. Implementing new and innovative economic uses in urban areas is relatively new in research for urban areas, in particular, when development types like bioeconomy are implemented. The joint German–Mexican research presented in this article aims at exploring the use of vacant inner urban spaces as Green Innovation Areas—discussing their potentials for sustainable development of shrinking cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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19 pages, 1329 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Shrinking Suburbs: Analyzing the Decline of American Suburban Spaces

by Andrea Sarzynski and Thomas J. Vicino

Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5230; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11195230 - 24 Sep 2019

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5121

Abstract

Recent popular and scholarly work has drawn attention to the issue of shrinking cities. In particular, a growing body of literature has focused on the impacts of population loss on European cities, and more recently, the deindustrialized areas of the United States. Fewer scholars have examined the phenomenon of shrinkage in the suburban context. This paper explores the evolution of shrinking suburbs in the United States from 1980 to 2010. Three research questions motivate this study: (1) What is the population change in suburban neighborhoods and places from 1980 to 2010? (2) Where are shrinking suburbs located? (3) What are the trajectories of change of shrinking suburbs? A definition of shrinking suburbs using spatial and temporal criteria is operationalized. Using census tract-level data with normalized boundaries from the Neighborhood Change Database, numerous socioeconomic variables were extracted for the 30-year study period. In total, the results demonstrate that approximately one-quarter of all suburbs were shrinking. The characteristics of shrinking suburbs are identified and a typology of seven trajectories of suburban decline is developed. The conclusion reflects on the implications of shrinking suburbs for sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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22 pages, 2160 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Urban Shrinkage and Sustainability: Assessing the Nexus between Population Density, Urban Structures and Urban Sustainability

by Ondřej Slach, Vojtěch Bosák, Luděk Krtička, Alexandr Nováček and Petr Rumpel

Sustainability 2019, 11(15), 4142; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11154142 - 01 Aug 2019

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 6376

Abstract

Urban shrinkage has become a common pathway (not only) in post-socialist cities, which represents new challenges for traditionally growth-oriented spatial planning. Though in the post-socialist area, the situation is even worse due to prevailing weak planning culture and resulting uncoordinated development. The case of the city of Ostrava illustrates how the problem of (in)efficient infrastructure operation, and maintenance, in already fragmented urban structure is exacerbated by the growing size of urban area (through low-intensity land-use) in combination with declining size of population (due to high rate of outmigration). Shrinkage, however, is, on the intra-urban level, spatially differentiated. Population, paradoxically, most intensively declines in the least financially demanding land-uses and grows in the most expensive land-uses for public administration. As population and urban structure development prove to have strong inertia, this land-use development constitutes a great challenge for a city’s future sustainability. The main objective of the paper is to explore the nexus between change in population density patterns in relation to urban shrinkage, and sustainability of public finance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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17 pages, 3546 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Shrinkage in Tokyo’s Central Business District: Large-Scale Redevelopment in the Spatially Shrinking Office Market

by Kohei Kawai, Masatomo Suzuki and Chihiro Shimizu

Sustainability 2019, 11(10), 2742; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11102742 - 14 May 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3872

Abstract

Although metropolises continue to grow worldwide, they face the risk of shrinkage. This study seeks to capture and contextualize the “shrinkage” of the office market in Tokyo, a city that is one of the largest in the world but whose labor force has been shrinking since 1995. Employing unique property-level data on office building performance and use, this study quantifies the geographical distribution of office supply over time and shows that the geographical area of office supply is shrinking from the fringes, in line with the large-scale redevelopment of the central area since the collapse of the asset bubble in the early 1990s. As a result, analyses of changes in the vacancy rate and rent premium (from hedonic regressions) suggest that old office properties in the suburbs have recently faced more vacancies and lower rent premiums, even during the upturn peak of around 2007. This evidence suggests that (i) the concept of shrinking cities is also applicable in a spatial context, even for service sector workplaces in a nation’s central metropolis, and that (ii) allowing large-scale redevelopment in the central area while the economy remains powerful can transform the metropolis into a more compact form, which may be desirable in the long run. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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13 pages, 926 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Multilevel Model Approach for Assessing the Effects of House and Neighborhood Characteristics on Housing Vacancy: A Case of Daegu, South Korea

by Jeong-Il Park

Sustainability 2019, 11(9), 2515; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11092515 - 30 Apr 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3640

Abstract

Previous studies on housing vacancy mostly focused on variables representing regional characteristics while overlooking the characteristics of individual houses. This is due to the limitations of available data. Using the house-level Housing Vacancy Database, this study aims to identify the spatial clustering pattern of vacant houses by examining single-family houses in Daegu, South Korea, and analyze the factors affecting housing vacancy. The Housing Vacancy Database built in this study provides accurate location information of vacant houses, making it possible to analyze the clustering pattern of vacant houses in a more detailed spatial unit. Furthermore, the Housing Vacancy Database considered various physical and neighborhood factors at the house level. The result of hot spot analysis showed that vacant houses were spatially concentrated in the city center. As a result of analyzing the factors affecting housing vacancy at the house level and neighborhood level using a multilevel model, it was found that the physical environment characteristics of individual houses were key factors affecting housing vacancy. Additionally, the probability of housing vacancy tended to increase when the land prices were higher, the houses were located in redevelopment zones, and there were more neighboring vacant houses nearby. Meanwhile, population decline and the ratio of old houses were the only significant variables at the neighborhood level. Thus, this study addresses that policies are needed to improve housing and physical environment characteristics that contribute to housing vacancy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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14 pages, 6924 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Urban Regeneration for Shrinking Cities: A Case from Japan

by Yupeng Wang and Hiroatsu Fukuda

Sustainability 2019, 11(5), 1505; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11051505 - 12 Mar 2019

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 8186

Abstract

Population decline is leading to a shrinking city size in industrialized countries. In some developing countries, because majority of the population is concentrated in big cities, the population in undeveloped cities has begun to decline. Japan experienced rapid urban expansion surrounding industrial districts, including steeply sloped areas, between the 1950s and 1970s. In the past forty years, Japan’s population has decreased, and the average age of the population is increasing. The reduction in the size of cities, following population decreases is becoming an important issue, and the study of sustainable, concentrated urban planning to cope with shrinking city size is, therefore, necessary. We have conducted a case study using Yahatahigashi-ku to determine its redevelopment potential, based on a combination of urban geographic data. This paper (1) presents a typical case study using Geographic Information System (GIS) data to evaluate an aging and shrinking society; (2) explores the GIS design approaches configured for an aging society; and (3) evaluates the optimization of environmental performance for an urban regeneration plan. The primary factors related to this urban design case study included, a declining population, mixed urban land use, and the placement of public facilities. We developed a method involving the slope degree to evaluate land-use to model the importance of informational evaluation in the urban planning process. This method could contribute to the urban regeneration for an aging society and could also be applied to other aging and shrinking cities, in mountainous regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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23 pages, 9469 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Downtown Development for the Tsunami-Prepared Urban Revitalization of Regional Coastal Cities

by Takumi Ito, Tsuyoshi Setoguchi, Takashi Miyauchi, Akira Ishii and Norihiro Watanabe

Sustainability 2019, 11(4), 1020; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11041020 - 15 Feb 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4084

Abstract

Regional cities in Japan are facing a decline in the downtown area owing to urban expansion and a decrease in the population. Promoting downtown living is indispensable for the realization of downtown revitalization. Since many coastal cities originally developed outward from a port, their downtown areas are located near the coast and are at high risk of tsunamis. The purpose of this research is to reveal the effectiveness of dealing with the above two issues in parallel by evaluating the Deae-ru Saiwai estate, a public housing relocation project in downtown Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan that incorporates a tsunami evacuation facility with questionnaires and a GIS survey. Placing public housing in the downtown area shortens the distance to public facilities and improves the convenience of the surrounding environment for many residents. Installing the tsunami evacuation facility improves the feeling of reassurance of residents who would feel anxiety about immigration with regards to tsunamis. This research has clarified the synergistic effect of dealing with the daily and emergency issues in parallel for promoting downtown living. Planning downtown revitalization and disaster prevention concurrently, which has been separated so far, is a fundamental planning approach for urban revitalization in regional coastal cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)

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