Cities will not be immune to depopulation - how can they adapt?
I have linked a few articles about how rural areas should be prepared to lose young people to urban areas, but it is important to concede that smaller cities will not be spared the general trend toward depopulation. Here is an interview with Alan Mallach, the author of Smaller Cities in a Shrinking World, about how cities in Korea might start to think about these trends.
So what does it mean to adapt to a shrinking world, as he suggests? Mallach was quick to note that a lack of precedent makes it a very difficult question to answer. Korea, he said, was in a βvery challenging positionβ in terms of dealing with population decline and deglobalization simultaneously, and suggested that the focus be placed on improving quality of life. In particular, he listed expanding public goods β transit, open spaces, cultural opportunities β and individual Korean cities turning their focus to small-scale manufacturing and localizing supply chains.
βThe key thing is reducing the reliance on large-scale economic growth and building stronger localized communities focusing on quality of life and public goods. Now, this is not an easy shift; itβs going to be extraordinarily difficult. But these are the kinds of issues that I think people should be starting to think about,β he said.
I have not read Mr. Mallach's book yet, but it's now on my list.