Europe's Shrinking Cities

Many European cities face or will face a shrinking and older population. By 2050 the population of Germany can be expected to fall, depending on projection, from over 82 million to under 70 million accompanied by a fundamental change in demographic structures. How seriously is this demographic revolution taken at the local level? Municipal master planning in Germany does not yet appear to be sufficiently prepared to meet this challenge.

The aim of this issue of the German Journal of Urban Studies is to thematize important complexes and approaches in urban studies and local government. This is undertaken by five articles, which clearly show that demographic change, in particular demographic decline, is an equally serious problem for both East and West German local authorities. The authors critically examine common theses and rash categorizations, and present the preconditions and options for local government reaction in the context of society as a whole.

Thanks to Léon Groenemeijer