A Typology of U.S. Shrinking Cities

Author ORCID Identifier

Christina Sarosiek:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2765-6187

George Coutrakon:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4498-4139

Publication Title

Professional Geographer

ISSN

00330124

E-ISSN

14679272

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The literature on shrinking cities has significantly grown in recent years. Little work, however, has been done toward the development of a shrinking city typology, which could help inform solutions and strategies to address problems associated with population loss. With a focus on central cities, this article identifies 367 shrinking cities within the United States and categorizes them using a geographic information system to identify seven types of shrinking cities in the United States: (1) large shrinking central cities, (2) inner-ring suburbs of shrinking central cities, (3) outer-ring suburbs of shrinking central cities, (4) inner-ring suburbs of growing central cities, (5) outer-ring suburbs of growing central cities, (6) small shrinking central cities in small Metropolitan Statistical Areas, and (7) small shrinking cities in small Micropolitan Statistical Areas. The empirically generated clusters, combined with associated social and demographic information, identify separate but sometimes interrelated shrinking city types and provide a new perspective for addressing the problems faced by U.S. shrinking cities. Key Words: population decline, shrinking cities, typology, urban population.

First Page

152

Last Page

164

Publication Date

1-2-2020

DOI

10.1080/00330124.2019.1633366

Keywords

ciudades contraídas, declinación demográfica, población urbana, tipología

Department

Department of Geographic and Atmospheric Sciences

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