Abstract: |
How to save the shrinking cities becomes one of the most difficult tasks in achieving sustainable urbanization. In the process of urbanization of the western countries, due to various factors such as economy tran-sition, resource exhaustion, suburbanization and etc, many old industrial cities are lost in shrinking predicament which causes complex social problems. The theoretical analyzes from aspects of global challenges and local response shows that tran-sition of shrinking cities has provoked the traditional urban planning theory focusing on growth mana-gement, which is reflected in the paradigm dile-mmas between entrepreneurialism and environmen-talism. The case studies of Man-chester and Leeds in the UK demon-strate that al-though Manchester’s renaissance strategic planning guided by entre-preneurialism paradigm led to increasing con-tradiction between economy growth and environment protection, Leeds’attempt to exceed traditional entrepre-neurialism para-digm has brought about new pros-pect of integrating economy and environment issues, and that theory of sustain-able cities also gives new chance to cope with problems of shrinking cities. The experiences of western shrinking cities can offer some guiding principles to old industrial cities’ transition in China. |