ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the underpinnings of contemporary public leadership as a starting point for deliberative solutions created in response to the challenge of urban depopulation, which is discussed in terms of systemic complexity and selected social systems theories. Adopting a progressive approach that fosters a new culture for producing innovative solutions, as well as a learning process that occurs within the dual city structures, namely social systems and their environments, is the recommended strategy for effectively addressing such a serious structural problem.
