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Urban Shrinkage, Degrowth, and Sustainability: An Updated Research Agenda

Author

Listed:
  • Joop de Kraker

    (Maastricht Sustainability Institute, Maastricht University, The Netherlands / Department of Environmental Sciences, Open Universiteit, The Netherlands)

  • Christian Scholl

    (Maastricht Sustainability Institute, Maastricht University, The Netherlands)

  • Marco Bontje

    (Department of Geography, Planning and International Development Studies, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Shrinking cities and degrowth thinking share their parting from the dominant growth paradigm and seem to have much to offer to each other. Could degrowth be an inspiring and guiding paradigm for the sustainable development of shrinking cities? Could shrinking cities be suitable testing grounds to apply degrowth’s radical sustainability principles in practice? These and other questions regarding the connections between urban shrinkage, degrowth, and sustainability have hardly been addressed in the scientific literature thus far. This thematic issue brings together novel empirical contributions, taking stock of first attempts to connect degrowth to urban shrinkage, exploring in how far this potential unfolds in practice and what obstacles these attempts face, with a focus on the field of urban planning. In this editorial, we discuss the connections between shrinking cities, degrowth, and sustainability identified in the empirical studies and the dialogues that span across these contributions. We conclude with an updated research agenda for this field of study.

Suggested Citation

  • Joop de Kraker & Christian Scholl & Marco Bontje, 2024. "Urban Shrinkage, Degrowth, and Sustainability: An Updated Research Agenda," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:urbpla:v9:y:2024:a:8815
    DOI: 10.17645/up.8815
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    References listed on IDEAS

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