From crisis to choice : Managing change in shrinking cities

This article builds on the results of an URBACT project aimed at reviewing and assessing contemporary practice in dealing with urban shrinkage and demographic change (Schlappa and Neill 2013). We examine the generic aspects of developing realistic perspectives on strategic development options for shrinking cities and provide an example of good practice in taking a strategic approach towards land-use management. We argue that realistic forward strategy must come from within the resources of a shrinking city and be based on an acceptance that socio-economic development is an inherently evolutionary and cyclical process of change.