Co-producing responses to urban shrinkage

At a time of unprecedented budgetary austerity shrinking cities need to find strategies to tackle growing problems related to public services, employment, social cohesion and the environment in ways which differ from those pursued in the past. Drawing on the ideas and enhancing the resources and capabilities of local stakeholders is key to creating new strategic perspectives and initiatives. This chapter presents a case study from a small manufacturing town in Germany to illustrate that the concept of co-production is well suited to explain how municipalities of shrinking cities can successfully collaborate with their local community in the development of forward strategies that are based on their existing resources.