ABSTRACT
The European Union sees towns and cities, and especially the major cities, as a ‘motor of growth’. At the same time, the EU recognises that many towns and cities are not growing, and ‘shrinking cities’ also occupy a prominent place on the European policy and research agenda. Shrinking cities do not fit the principles of European (or national) policy. They do not, for instance, meet the principles of the European model for sustainable urban developments: shrinking towns and cities are usually not ‘attractive places’ or ‘motors of growth’, they do not usually exhibit ‘social progress’, they are not ‘powerful regional centres’ and they are often situated in economically underperforming regions. Policymakers, not only in Brussels but also at the national, regional or local levels, usually wish to combat shrinkage with measures to return to growth as quickly as possible. One of the development concepts that often raises strong expectations is ‘the creative city’. But isn’t the creative city above all a policy concept for ‘winners’, for growing cities? Or do shrinking cities perhaps also have creative opportunities?
