Peripherisierung – Prozesse, Probleme und Strategien in Mittelstädten

Abstract

The paper develops peripheralization as an approach to analyzing socio-spatial processes. Peripheralization refers to the social “making” of peripheral cities and regions. This is in contrast to definitions of spatial “peripheries”, which see them as a static and natural reality and refer mainly to thinly populated rural areas. Against this, the approach of peripheralization encompasses cities and city regions. For this purpose, out-migration, disconnection and dependence are distinguished in the fields of local/regional economy, infrastructure and politics. Policy-makers are challenged to react to these processes that can be seen as the complementary side to the centralization of economic and political headquarters, gateways, population, employment and services in metropolitan areas. In the second part, the paper describes strategic (re-)actions by local politicians and planners that have been analyzed empirically in six midsized cities in Germany. In the general context of economic globalization and the financial crises of most German municipalities, the authors discuss opportunities and problems for strategic planning in medium-sized cities to cope with peripheralization processes. English Title: Peripheralization – Processes, Problems and Strategies in Mid-Sized Cities