ABSTRACT
Urban shrinkage is an urban phenomenon caused by economic crises, wars, revolutions, systemic transformations, and epidemics or catastrophes with subsequent population loss. This chapter presents a study that identified the scope, intensity, and spatial characteristics of the growth and shrinkage in Wuhan. Based on population census data, economic data, and land supply data, this investigation was conducted at both the municipal district scale and the subdistrict scale to provide comparable insights in order to understand the regional shrinkage phenomenon within a large administrative division. With a focus on one of the key shrinking areas of Wuhan, Qingshan District, empirical research was conducted from a demographic and capital perspective to investigate this type of shrinkage. The changes can be seen in terms of the age structure and a new balance in regional demographics, namely, aging communities and declining birth rates. In other words, what has occurred in Qingshan is not a temporary population movement but rather a new urban phenomenon—regional shrinkage.
