The role of Leipzig’s narrative of shrinking

Abstract

ABSTRACTAn important claim for the categorisation and study of shrinking cities is that the experience of governance across these cities may offer an alternative to hegemonic discourses of growth. However, there are methodological problems associated with categorizing then researching shrinking cities. Two key problems are: first, the category hides a multiplicity of cause and effect and; second, the danger of fetishizing the city against the reality of broader urban drivers of change. It is argued that the use of governance narratives is a means to addresses this, as narratives focus us on cities as places of practice. We apply the approach to Leipzig, once shrinking but now one of Germany’s fastest growing cities. We conclude that while there was a significant attempt to articulate an alternative to growth, it remained dominant suggesting the need to develop a taxonomy of shrinking cities where not all offer an alternative vision of “development”.