Attributes of the Positive Side of Urban Shrinkage: Evidence from Seoul
Publication: Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 149, Issue 2
Abstract
While most studies on shrinking urban areas have focused on the negative consequences of urban change, scholarly interest in reinventing urban shrinkage continues to grow. Nevertheless, research on the possible benefits of urban shrinkage remains insufficient. Thus, this study used a cross-case analysis to investigate the positive attributes of shrinkage as well as their utilization processes and associated benefits in three shrinking districts in Seoul. The results indicate that the following opportune circumstances could arise: collective actions prompted by people feeling despair after shrinkage; the initiation and spread of small-scale projects that replace a grand plan; the availability of less competitive land and built property for transformative uses; and the rediscovery of local industrial values and know-how. These attributes influence the growth of social capital and civic engagement in local planning and the revitalization of stagnant local economies. The findings suggest that even if an urban district declines, opportunities for reinvention may occur if stakeholders effectively capitalize on the favorable features of urban shrinkage.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean Government (MSIT) (2020R1A2C4002751). This research was conducted by supplementing part of the doctoral thesis of the first author, Hyung Rae Cho. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
References
Alves, D., A. P. Barreira, M. H. Guimarães, and T. Panagopoulos. 2016. “Historical trajectories of currently shrinking Portuguese cities: A typology of urban shrinkage.” Cities 52: 20–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2015.11.008.
Attaran, M. 1986. “Industrial diversity and economic performance in U.S. areas.” Ann. Reg. Sci. 20 (2): 44–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01287240.
Barreira, A. P., L. C. Nunes, M. H. Guimarães, and T. Panagopoulos. 2019. “Satisfied but thinking about leaving: The reasons behind residential satisfaction and residential attractiveness in shrinking Portuguese cities.” Int. J. Urban Sci. 23 (1): 67–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/12265934.2018.1447390.
Bartholomae, F., C. Woon Nam, and A. Schoenberg. 2017. “Urban shrinkage and resurgence in Germany.” Urban Stud. 54 (12): 2701–2718. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098016657780.
Brody, S. D., D. R. Godschalk, and R. J. Burby. 2003. “Mandating citizen participation in plan making: Six strategic planning choices.” J. Am. Plann. Assoc. 69 (3): 245–264. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944360308978018.
Burby, R. J. 2003. “Making plans that matter: Citizen involvement and government action.” J. Am. Plann. Assoc. 69 (1): 33–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944360308976292.
Cheshire, P. C. 2006. “Resurgent cities, urban myths and policy hubris: What we need to know.” Urban Stud. 43 (8): 1231–1246. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980600775600.
Cho, H. R., S. Kim, and J. S. Lee. 2022. “Spaces eliciting negative and positive emotions in shrinking neighbourhoods: A study in Seoul, South Korea, using EEG (Electroencephalography).” J. Urban Health 99 (2): 245–259. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-022-00608-8.
Collins, W. J., and K. L. Shester. 2013. “Slum clearance and urban renewal in the United States.” Am. Econ. J. Appl. Econ. 5 (1): 239–273. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.5.1.239.
Cooper, T. L., T. A. Bryer, and J. W. Meek. 2006. “Citizen-centered collaborative public management.” Public Administration Rev. 66: 76–88. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2006.00668.x.
Cornwall, A. 2008. “Democratising engagement: What the UK can learn from international experience.” Department for International Development. Accessed October 18, 2021. https://www.gov.uk/research-for-development-outputs/democratising-engagement-what-the-uk-can-learn-from-international-experience.
Creswell, J. W. 2014. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. London: Sage.
Friendly, A. 2017. “Urban policy, social movements, and the right to the city in Brazil.” Lat. Am. Perspect. 44 (2): 132–148. https://doi.org/10.1177/0094582X16675572.
Greene, J. C., and V. J. Caracelli. 1997. Advances in mixed-method evaluation: The challenges and benefits of integrating diverse paradigms. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Greene, S. J. 2003. “Staged cities: Mega-events, slum clearance, and global capital.” Yale Hum. Rights Dev. Law J. 6: 161.
Haase, A., M. Bontje, C. Couch, S. Marcinczak, D. Rink, P. Rumpel, and M. Wolff. 2021. “Factors driving the regrowth of European cities and the role of local and contextual impacts: A contrasting analysis of regrowing and shrinking cities.” Cities 108: 102942. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2020.102942.
Haase, A., D. Rink, K. Grossmann, M. Bernt, and V. Mykhnenko. 2014. “Conceptualizing urban shrinkage.” Environ. Plann. A Econ. Space 46 (7): 1519–1534. https://doi.org/10.1068/a46269.
Hall, P., and D. Hay. 1980. Growth centres in the European urban system. London: Heinemann.
Hollander, J. B. 2011. “Can a city successfully shrink? Evidence from survey data on neighborhood quality.” Urban Aff. Rev. 47 (1): 129–141. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078087410379099.
Hollander, J. B. 2018. An ordinary city: Planning for growth and decline in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave MacMillan.
Innes, J. E., and D. E. Booher. 2004. “Reframing public participation: Strategies for the 21st century.” Plann. Theory Pract. 5 (4): 419–436. https://doi.org/10.1080/1464935042000293170.
Irvin, R. A., and J. Stansbury. 2004. “Citizen participation in decision making: Is it worth the effort?” Public Administration Rev. 64 (1): 55–65. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2004.00346.x.
Jang, N.-J., D.-M. Maeng, Y.-J. Kim, and J.-A. Hwang. 2015. “Analysis and support plans for micro enterprises in urban revitalization areas.” [In Korean.] The Seoul Institute. Accessed. October 10, 2021. http://www.dbpia.co.kr/journal/articleDetail?nodeId=NODE07280547.
Kang, D. 2019. “Why can’t the old and the new coexist?” [In Korean.] Danbi News. Accessed November 13, 2021. http://www.danbinews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=12518.
Kim, E., J. Kim, and K. Keum. 2019. “An empirical analysis of revitalization of Euljiro 3·4-ga using the geotagged Instagram data.” [In Korean.] Seoul Stud. 20 (2): 19–35.
Kim, M. J. 2019. “[LePo] Re-establishment conflict… ‘Redevelopment in the end’ vs ‘I can’t live in a building without a bathroom.’” [In Korean.] ChosunBiz. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://biz.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2019/01/22/2019012201973.html.
Kim, T. H., E.-h. Cho, D.-h. Choi, and Y.-g. Choi. 2020. “Citizen's Plan 2.0.” [In Korean.] The re:Sewoon. Accessed August 28, 2021. http://sewoon.org/archives/8011.
Kort, J. R. 1981. “Regional economic instability and industrial diversification in the U.S.” Land Econ. 57 (4): 596–608. https://doi.org/10.2307/3145674.
Lee, J. S., S. Won, and S. Kim. 2016. “Describing changes in the built environment of shrinking cities: Case study of Incheon, South Korea.” J. Urban Plann. Dev. 142 (2): 5015010. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000305.
Lim, M. 2013. “Sewoon Shopping Center, the splendid past… Right now, it is ‘The monstrosity of the City.’” [In Korean.] News1. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.news1.kr/articles/?1050969.
Lima, M. F., and M. R. Eischeid. 2017. “Shrinking cities: Rethinking landscape in depopulating urban contexts.” Landscape Res. 42 (7): 691–698. https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2017.1372167.
Liu, Y., Y. Hu, H. Sun, and G. Zhou. 2020. “Study on residents’ quality of life in the context of urban shrinkage: Analysis based on subjective and objective data.” J. Urban Plann. Dev. 146 (3): 05020015. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000597.
Ma, Z., C. Li, and J. Zhang. 2020. “Understanding urban shrinkage from a regional perspective: Case study of Northeast China.” J. Urban Plann. Dev. 146 (4): 05020025. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000621.
Mallach, A. 2012. “Depopulation, market collapse and property abandonment: Surplus land and buildings in legacy cities.” In Rebuilding America’s legacy cities: New directions for the industrial heartland, edited by A. Mallach, 85–110. Skokie, IL: CreateSpace.
Martinez-Fernandez, C., T. Weyman, S. Fol, I. Audirac, E. Cunningham-Sabot, T. Wiechmann, and H. Yahagi. 2016. “Shrinking cities in Australia, Japan, Europe and the USA: From a global process to local policy responses.” Prog. Plann. 105: 1–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progress.2014.10.001.
Moudon, A. V. 2019. “Framing the question: Is shrinking good or bad?” J. Urban Des. 24 (1): 66–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2019.1553822.
Mykhnenko, V., and I. Turok. 2008. “East European cities—Patterns of growth and decline, 1960–2005.” Int. Plann. Stud. 13 (4): 311–342. https://doi.org/10.1080/13563470802518958.
Németh, J., and J. Hollander. 2016. “Right-sizing shrinking cities: A landscape and design strategy for abandoned properties.” J. Landscape Archit. 11 (2): 90–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/18626033.2016.1188578.
OECD. 2019. The governance of land use in Korea: Urban regeneration. Paris: OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/fae634b4-en.
Ponzini, D. 2016. “Introduction: Crisis and renewal of contemporary urban planning.” Eur. Plann. Stud. 24 (7): 1237–1245. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2016.1168782.
Putnam, R. D. 2000. Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Roberts, M., and T. G. Townshend. 2017. “Urban design in an age of recession.” J. Urban Des. 22 (2): 133–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2017.1295787.
Ryan, B. D. 2019. “Designing for people and place in shrinking cities.” J. Urban Des. 24 (1): 72–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2019.1553825.
Schilling, J., and J. Logan. 2008. “Greening the rust belt: A green infrastructure model for right sizing America’s shrinking cities.” J. Am. Plann. Assoc. 74 (4): 451–466. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944360802354956.
Seoul Statistics. 2020. “Seoul metropolitan government—Big data office & smart city policy office.” [In Korean.] Accessed June 18, 2021. https://data.seoul.go.kr/dataList/104/S/2/datasetView.do.
Shan, J., Y. Liu, X. Kong, Y. Liu, and Y. Wang. 2020. “Identifying city shrinkage in population and city activity in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, China.” J. Urban Plann. Dev. 146 (3): 04020027. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000593.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government. 2017a. “Seoul urban regeneration pilot project: Seongsu urban regeneration revitalization plan.” [In Korean.] Balanced Development Policy Division. Accessed October 7, 2021. https://uri.seoul.go.kr/surc/archive/policyView.do?bbs_master_seq=POLICY&bbs_seq=2764.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government. 2017b. “Urban regeneration revitalization plan report for Sewoon.” [In Korean.] Balanced Development Policy Division. Accessed October 7, 2021. https://uri.seoul.go.kr/surc/archive/policyView.do?bbs_master_seq=POLICY&bbs_seq=2748.
Van den Berg, L., R. Drewett, L. H. Klaassen, A. Rossi, and C. H. T. Vijverberg. 1982. A study of growth and decline. Oxford, UK: Pergamon.
Weaver, R., S. Bagchi-Sen, J. Knight, and A. E. Frazier. 2017. Shrinking cities: Understanding urban decline in the United States. London: Routledge.
Wiechmann, T., and K. M. Pallagst. 2012. “Urban shrinkage in Germany and the USA: A comparison of transformation patterns and local strategies.” Int. J. Urban Reg. Res. 36 (2): 261–280. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2427.2011.01095.x.
Wlodarczyk, A., N. Basabe, D. Páez, and L. Zumeta. 2017. “Hope and anger as mediators between collective action frames and participation in collective mobilization: The case of 15-M.” J. Social Political Psychol. 5 (1): 200–223. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v5i1.471.
Wondolleck, J. M., and S. L. Yaffee. 2000. Making collaboration work: Lessons from innovation in natural resource management. Washington, DC: Island.
Woo, J.-y., and S. Baek. 2012. “Residents of Sewoon Shopping Center are furious at the redevelopment of back and forth.” [In Korean.] Maeil Business Newspaper. Accessed December 8, 2021. https://www.mk.co.kr/news/realestate/view/2012/11/786030/.
Yetano, A., S. Royo, and B. Acerete. 2010. “What is driving the increasing presence of citizen participation initiatives?” Environ. Plann. C 28 (5): 783–802. https://doi.org/10.1068/c09110.
Yin, R. K. 2009. Case study research: Design and methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 149 • Issue 2 • June 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 9, 2022
Accepted: Dec 2, 2022
Published online: Feb 21, 2023
Published in print: Jun 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Jul 21, 2023
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.