Shrinking cities, a specific phenomenon of urban dynamics Cover Image

Contracţia urbană, un fenomen particular de dinamică urbană
Shrinking cities, a specific phenomenon of urban dynamics

Author(s): Alexandra-Georgeta Beldiman
Subject(s): Human Geography, Regional Geography, Applied Geography, Applied Sociology, Social development, Policy, planning, forecast and speculation, Rural and urban sociology, Ethnic Minorities Studies
Published by: Universitatea de Arhitectură şi Urbanism »Ion Mincu«
Keywords: urban degradation; urban-rural transect (or rural-urban transect); demographic explosion; urban decrease; urbanization;

Summary/Abstract: There are four types of observable shrinkage in a territory: socio-cultural contraction, physical contraction, economic contraction and demographic contraction. The phenomenon of "shrinking" doesn’t take into account "how great is urban space affected", but focuses on the intuitive perception of space - how it is seen, how it is lived, what it can be used for. It is a negative phenomenon for the gradual and tactile destruction of the city, because, over time, the particular order of each city disappears. The "shrinking" phenomenon can’t be confused with the "sprawl" phenomenon, as it is a slower but more secure process, particularly in the decline of areas with increased vulnerability. The phenomenon, in its embryonic state, starts from the center of the urban territory and extends to the maximum limit of the same territory, decreasing progressively the number of inhabitants by the lack of activities that generate the labor force. The city, as a form of spatial organization, knows different urban typologies that are reflected in various forms of urban organization. The city, with complex functions, is based on functional areas that are modeled and can be used in different ways. Because functional constraints in the territory contribute to population dynamics, implicitly with mutations in the urban dynamics of the same territory, the economic activity leaves its mark on the city's physiognomy. The study aims to provide a diagnosis of urban space for shrinking cities. The study focuses on urban dynamics and systemic analysis through socio-economic aspects taken from statistical data on population dynamics.

  • Issue Year: 4/2019
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 73-80
  • Page Count: 8
  • Language: Romanian