Shrinking Cities

This book is extremely well written. The authors offer apt summaries of a wide range of theoretical models of urban change, progrowth and rightsizing policies, and much more. Most importantly, and impressively, they provide clear and concise explanations of the bevy of quantitative approaches applied in their research. This is far more than a well-crafted book on an in vogue topic. It is a foundational text for shrinking cities scholarship. Not only does it provide a thorough review of the urban shrinkage and related literature, it also contributes fundamental empirical evidence of the shrinking cities phenomenon in the United States. It is without a doubt a must read for academics interested in urban shrinkage and decline. I would even go further to contend that it is a must own. - Maxwell Hartt University of Toronto, Economic Geography

Russell Weaver is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Texas State University, USA. Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen is a Professor of Geography at the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA. Jason Knight is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA. Amy E. Frazier is an Assistant Professor of Geography at Oklahoma State University, USA.

1. Introduction 2. Patterns and Trends: Measuring and Mapping Urban Shrinkage 3. Patterns and Trends: Measuring and Mapping Urban Decline 4. Explanations of Urban Shrinkage and Decline 5. Shrinkage and Decline Beyond the Central City 6. Pro-Growth Urban Policy 7. Rightsizing and Smart Decline 8. Challenges and Prospects of Regional Governance 9. Sustainability and Resilience 10. Concluding Remarks