How to realise sustainable urban form for a post-growth era: comparative policies of medium-sized cities in Europe

Abstract

Population growth is not going to continue everlastingly everywhere. Realising sustainability in shrinking cities will be one of the most significant and challenging agendas in the planning and urban policy domain for the next generation. On the other hand, globalisation is weakening relatively smaller cities while, simultaneously, strengthening only a few megacities. However, growth is still considered an ideal pathway, and academic and policy arenas have paid little attention to shrinkage and medium-sized cities.
This paper will explore possible means of urban development in terms of sustainability in a depopulating, post-growth era, focusing on medium-sized shrinking cities. First, along with historical debates, the most recent debates about sustainability and policy responses to urban shrinkage are investigated. Second, using case studies on pro-shrinking policies in two cities—Halle (Germany) and Parkstad Limburg (Holland)—the relationship with sustainability and common features of shrink-oriented policies are examined. Most pro-shrinkage policies were evaluated as having strong sustainability regarding their environmental advantage and means of transformation outside existing social structures, including wider territorial authority and public engagement. Shrinkage-orientation calls for a new way of thinking about planning and sustainability arguments.