Smaller Cities in a Shrinking World

“The book convincingly lays out the evidence that shrinking cities will be a norm moving forward and that if you are in a place that has already experienced shrinking, seeing this with clear eyes is essential. While this poses challenges to places, the emphasis that shrinking does not have to be a ‘failure’ is essential…. This book will be of great use to students, with its clear introduction and explanation of the basic dynamics and range of vivid examples. But I think it will also be of genuine use to city planners and leaders in embracing and reframing the reality of shrinking.” – “Pennsylvania Geographer”“In Smaller Cities in a Shrinking World Alan Mallach provides a deep and engaging examination of how population decline and migration patterns in much of the world will shape our cities in the decades to come. Mallach implores urban leaders to break free from the long-held paradigm that economic advancement requires growth, come to terms with (for some) the inevitability of shrinkage, and invest in the localized assets they already have in order to realize a more prosperous and sustainable future.”–Jennifer S. Vey, Senior Fellow and Director, The Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking, Brookings Metro

Alan Mallach, author of The Divided City, is a city planner, urbanist, advocate, scholar, and writer. A senior fellow at the Center for Community Progress in Washington, DC, he is nationally known for his research and writing on housing, economic development, and urban revitalization, and for his hands-on engagement with local governments and organizations trying to rebuild their communities.