ABSTRACT
Urban shrinkage and shrinking cities are broader concepts and have become more popular in describing the depopulation process associated with various factors and cities experiencing it. This chapter focuses on the issue of urban shrinkage in Taiwan. It examines the demographic transition and policy responses to anticipated population contraction in Taiwan. Oswalt and Rieniets identify four categories of causes for urban shrinkage: destruction, change, loss, and shift. Urban shrinkage has also been attributed to suburbanization or urban sprawl. In the United States and European countries, suburbanization has flattened population density gradients for many central cities. The chapter also identifies Taiwanese cities and counties that have faced or are going to face a shrinking challenge in the decades to come and reviews current policy responses to the issues related to low fertility rate and anticipated population decrease.
