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25 pages, 3243 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Demographic Aspects of Urban Shrinkage in Serbia: Trajectory, Variety, and Drivers of Shrinking Cities

by Danica Djurkin, Marija Antić and Dejan Ž. Djordjević

Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 15961; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215961 - 15 Nov 2023

Viewed by 754

Many European countries have faced the process of urban shrinkage in recent decades. Due to the various theoretical aspects of urban shrinkage, there are numerous approaches to the interpretation of this process. The most widely accepted of these refers to the demographic component [...] Read more.

Many European countries have faced the process of urban shrinkage in recent decades. Due to the various theoretical aspects of urban shrinkage, there are numerous approaches to the interpretation of this process. The most widely accepted of these refers to the demographic component as the starting point for defining this phenomenon, with the decline of the total population as the main indicator. The demographic shrinkage of cities in Serbia is a process that has been in place since the 1960s, with the dynamics of spatial-demographic and socioeconomic transformation during the post-socialist transition having exacerbated urban shrinkage. As a result, over 80% of urban settlements are affected by it. This paper identifies the trajectory and spatio-temporal patterns of the intensity and dynamics of urban shrinkage for the period from 1961 to 2022. The aim of this work is to show the diversity of shrinking cities and to explore the driving forces behind this process in Serbia. In this study, we conducted an analysis of population trends in 167 urban settlements in Serbia. Further analysis included the identification of contrasting spatio-temporal and demographic dynamic patterns characterized by either natural losses or out-migration. Due to the complex urban trajectories, a typology was created that distinguishes four different types of shrinking cities: continuously shrinking cities, episodically shrinking cities, recently shrinking cities, and resurgent cities. The results are important to achieving a better understanding of how patterns of local population trends change over time and space. The result will thus be a step towards explaining the main demographic factors causing population change and inter- and intra-regional differences between shrinking cities in Serbia, as well as towards examining urban renewal opportunities in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviving Shrinking Cities for Being More Sustainable, Just and Resilient–Prospects and Challenges for Urban Transformation, Policymaking and Planning)

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16 pages, 519 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Eternal Struggle for the City: In Search of an Alternative Framework for Citizen Participation in Urban Regeneration Projects in Shrinking Cities

by Maja Ročak and Sabrina Keinemans

Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12653; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612653 - 21 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1497

Abstract

The relevance of citizen participation in regeneration projects, particularly in shrinking cities, is widely acknowledged, and this topic has received a great deal of policy and academic attention. Although the many advantages of citizen participation in regeneration projects have been identified, its current [...] Read more.

The relevance of citizen participation in regeneration projects, particularly in shrinking cities, is widely acknowledged, and this topic has received a great deal of policy and academic attention. Although the many advantages of citizen participation in regeneration projects have been identified, its current forms have also received considerable criticism. In short, this criticism boils down to the conclusion that the ideal of citizen participation is not put into practice. This paper considers why this is the case, asking whether current participatory practices enable citizens to exercise influence as political actors in urban regeneration projects. In this paper, we examine this question based on Mouffe’s conception of the political, coupled with findings from our empirical research conducted in Heerlen North, The Netherlands. We conducted qualitative research on urban regeneration in the shrinking old industrial city of Heerlen. The findings reveal two distinct perspectives on citizen participation. Professionals see the existing context of citizen participation as a reasonable and practical but, in some respects, insufficient practice. Citizens’ views on participation are organized around feelings of anger, shame, and fear and are grounded in experiences of a lack of recognition. These experiences limit citizens’ abilities to exert true influence on regeneration projects. We conclude that efforts to regenerate shrinking cities should strive to recognize these experiences so as to create conditions that generate respect and esteem and, as such, enable urban social justice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviving Shrinking Cities for Being More Sustainable, Just and Resilient–Prospects and Challenges for Urban Transformation, Policymaking and Planning)

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19 pages, 724 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Civil Society Organizations Drive Innovative Cultural Strategies in Shrinking Cities: A Comparative Case Study of Oberhausen, Germany and Riga, Latvia

by Anastasiya Matyushkina

Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 6151; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076151 - 03 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1806

Abstract

In a context where planning strategies were conceived to accommodate urban growth, urban shrinkage urges scholars and practitioners to develop innovative approaches. This paper aims to explore the role of culture in qualitative transformations in shrinking cities. The focus of this analysis is [...] Read more.

In a context where planning strategies were conceived to accommodate urban growth, urban shrinkage urges scholars and practitioners to develop innovative approaches. This paper aims to explore the role of culture in qualitative transformations in shrinking cities. The focus of this analysis is governance networks with key actors, their resources, challenges, and mutual dependencies. In this comparative case study, the data was collected in a qualitative way via in-depth interviews with representatives of local governments and cultural NGOs, as well as politicians, private actors, and residents from neighborhood organizations. The results show that municipalities in shrinking cities lack crucial qualities such as creativity, trust, and knowledge of local communities to efficiently govern shrinking cities. Local governments increasingly rely on civil society organizations that utilize culture as a tool to innovate new methods for community development and to provide social services for vulnerable groups. Two approaches to governance through culture are presented which differ significantly between two shrinking cities: the economically prosperous Latvian capital, Riga, and a peripheral German city, Oberhausen, with one of the largest financial debts in the country. This paper debunks the image of shrinking cities as citadels of empty spaces for arts, emphasizes the role of strategic planning, highlights the crucial role of civil society organizations in civic engagement and maintenance of cultural provision, and reflects on their precarious position ‘in the shadow of hierarchy’. Several policy implications for a community-focused cultural development of shrinking cities are provided. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviving Shrinking Cities for Being More Sustainable, Just and Resilient–Prospects and Challenges for Urban Transformation, Policymaking and Planning)

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16 pages, 670 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changing Governance Processes to Make Way for Civic Involvement: The Case of Gebrookerbos in Heerlen, Netherlands

by Agnes Matoga

Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10126; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610126 - 15 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1405

Abstract

The effects of shrinkage can be manifold. Vacant green areas are a typical manifestation of shrinkage in deindustrialized cities, such as Heerlen, Netherlands. Such challenges are usually managed by the municipality which, due to financial reasons, often has to turn to citizens to [...] Read more.

The effects of shrinkage can be manifold. Vacant green areas are a typical manifestation of shrinkage in deindustrialized cities, such as Heerlen, Netherlands. Such challenges are usually managed by the municipality which, due to financial reasons, often has to turn to citizens to aid in accommodating those effects. The example of Gebrookerbos in Heerlen shows how an adaptation of governance processes can take place in order to facilitate the involvement of citizens in reusing vacant spaces. The introduction of the position of account manager as well as brooker are being regarded as essential for shortening the distance between municipality and citizens as well as contributing to replacing the mistrust towards the municipality, which is in line with existing research on depopulating areas. Further, making a plethora of funding options and projects available for civic initiatives ensures the longevity of civic involvement. Finally, the findings show how working on the “hardware”, the visible vacancy and deterioration of the land—by adapting the “software”, the institutional set up and focusing on civic empowerment—of a shrinking city can go hand in hand. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviving Shrinking Cities for Being More Sustainable, Just and Resilient–Prospects and Challenges for Urban Transformation, Policymaking and Planning)

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13 pages, 750 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Cost-Benefit Analysis of Bottom-Up Spatial Planning in Shrinking Cities: A Case Study in The Netherlands

by Samira Louali, Maja Ročak and Jol Stoffers

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6920; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116920 - 06 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2537

Abstract

In current research, the social return to citizens initiatives is important but often under-evaluated. Within this work, we collected the information that has emerged from measuring the social value of regenerative projects in shrinking cities. We used a case study of the regenerative [...] Read more.

In current research, the social return to citizens initiatives is important but often under-evaluated. Within this work, we collected the information that has emerged from measuring the social value of regenerative projects in shrinking cities. We used a case study of the regenerative project Gebrookerbos, a socio-spatial regeneration project in the shrinking city of Heerlen, the Netherlands. To assess the project’s monetary and immaterial aspects, a social cost–benefit analysis (SCBA) was used to understand the complexities of the costs and benefits associated with citizens in regeneration projects in a shrinking area. Drawing from the literature on urban shrinkage, citizen involvement, and social cost–benefit analyses, a theoretical framework was proposed. The case study included primary (i.e., interviews) and secondary (i.e., document analysis) data to identify the social value of the Gebrookerbos project, with results suggesting that the project has been meaningful to diverse stakeholders. Based on experiences with the SCBA of Gebrookerbos, one finding was the complexity of measuring citizens’ initiatives in terms of social return due to their process, organisation, and goals, in combination with the dynamics of shrinking cities. We discuss why research on social return to citizens’ initiatives is important and with this study we draw attention to the tendencies, opportunities, and future potential of citizens’ initiatives, which contribute to vacant open spaces and quality of life in shrinking cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviving Shrinking Cities for Being More Sustainable, Just and Resilient–Prospects and Challenges for Urban Transformation, Policymaking and Planning)

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23 pages, 2025 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Shrinking Cities in Romania and The Netherlands—A Possible Policy Framing

by Raisa Țăruș, Ștefan Dezsi, Andreea M. Crăciun, Florin Pop and Claudia E. Tudorache

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 6040; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14106040 - 16 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2224

Abstract

In the last decades of the 20th century, the patterns of urban shrinkage defined a worldwide phenomenon. They are visible in all developed regions, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, on the background of the economic growth trajectories and social health improvements. Despite [...] Read more.

In the last decades of the 20th century, the patterns of urban shrinkage defined a worldwide phenomenon. They are visible in all developed regions, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, on the background of the economic growth trajectories and social health improvements. Despite this fact, the public discourse in a post-socialist country such as Romania is only focused on urban decline and its demographic dynamics sliding, when in fact urban shrinkage is more advanced, even to the point of becoming a selective phenomenon in developed countries such as The Netherlands. Our focus on urban shrinkage was driven by the fact that Romania can develop a policy framing regarding urban shrinkage, using example practices from a developed country such as The Netherlands. Moreover, it can learn how to deal with urban shrinkage effects by establishing certain differences which can cope with veritable lessons from both sides. This paper firstly investigates the urban shrinkage phenomenon observed in three cities in Romania and in three cities in The Netherlands. Secondly, it presents an analysis of demographic statistical data using the shift-and-share method to emphasize the persistence of urban shrinkage in the age structure of the total population of shrinking cities from both regions. Thirdly, it offers some lessons from both countries, finally presenting a mutual learning framework that can be applied to other regions in Europe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviving Shrinking Cities for Being More Sustainable, Just and Resilient–Prospects and Challenges for Urban Transformation, Policymaking and Planning)

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13 pages, 2741 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of the Urban Exodus Triggered by the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Shrinking Cities of the Osaka Metropolitan Area

by Haruka Kato and Atsushi Takizawa

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1601; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031601 - 29 Jan 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3858

Abstract

This study aims to clarify the impact of the urban exodus triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic on shrinking cities in the Osaka metropolitan area, where a declining population is caused by population aging. Analyzing the Osaka metropolitan area enables us to clarify how [...] Read more.

This study aims to clarify the impact of the urban exodus triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic on shrinking cities in the Osaka metropolitan area, where a declining population is caused by population aging. Analyzing the Osaka metropolitan area enables us to clarify how cities are shrinking due to the urban exodus. This study analyzed the monthly population data of three types of municipalities: ordinance-designed/regional hub cities, ordinary cities, and towns/villages. In conclusion, the study clarified that population change due to the urban exodus occurred in the ordinance-designed/regional hub and ordinary cities from summer to autumn 2020. The most significant population increases occurred in the municipalities in the Osaka metropolitan fringe area, which are located more than 30 km away from the center of the Osaka metropolitan area. The conclusion is important because the population increased not only in the ordinance-designed cities but also in the ordinance-designed/regional hub cities, unlike the rest of the metropolitan area. The result is the new insights unique to the Osaka metropolitan area that this study clarified. The urban exodus contributes to the need for the local governments of shrinking cities to maintain the urban services necessary for people’s daily lives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviving Shrinking Cities for Being More Sustainable, Just and Resilient–Prospects and Challenges for Urban Transformation, Policymaking and Planning)

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17 pages, 303 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Refugee Arrival under Conditions of Urban Decline: From Territorial Stigma and Othering to Collective Place-Making in Diverse Shrinking Cities?

by Norma Schemschat

Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13301; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313301 - 01 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1812

Abstract

Places affected by urban shrinkage are widely depicted as left behind places characterized by decline and decay. Refugees are generally constructed as victims or ‘dangerous other’. Hence, place-making and negotiations of belonging in shrinking cities are accompanied by multiple layers of stigmatization. Despite [...] Read more.

Places affected by urban shrinkage are widely depicted as left behind places characterized by decline and decay. Refugees are generally constructed as victims or ‘dangerous other’. Hence, place-making and negotiations of belonging in shrinking cities are accompanied by multiple layers of stigmatization. Despite this contextual factor and even though many questions related to inter-group relations in shrinking cities are still unanswered, refugee-centered revitalization of shrinking cities is being discussed among city officials, planners and in the scientific community. This paper investigates local discourses on urban shrinkage and refugee arrival as contextual factors for negotiations of place and belonging, and connects to previous studies on the stigmatization of declining cities and the othering of refugees. It uses Nayak’s (2019) concept of re-scripting narratives to analyze whether acts of re-writing apply not only to stigmatizations of place, but marginalized groups as well. The paper finds that while dominant discourses on place are contested and at times re-scripted by local actors, discourses which construct refugees as other are reaffirmed. Confirming previous findings according to which stigma was passed on to other marginalized groups, it concludes that there is a need to consider dominant discourses and their negative impact on social cohesion in debates around refugee-centered revitalization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviving Shrinking Cities for Being More Sustainable, Just and Resilient–Prospects and Challenges for Urban Transformation, Policymaking and Planning)

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