Expanding a Debate about Shrinking Post-Socialist Cities towards Aesthetics: Urban Shrinkage, Inspiration, and Creativity

Abstract

Shrinking cities are becoming a new ’reality’ in contemporary urban development thanks to numerous scientific contributions about this globally widespread phenomenon. However, it is not widely known that the term “Shrinking cities” was initially promoted through the same-name international project that culturally dealt with shrinking cities. This project, led by Eastern-German cultural experts, revealed internationally the essence and frequency of urban shrinkage. Interestingly, the approach used in this project has been important to clarify that urban shrinkage is not a negative process per se. Even more, the project contributed to define the multi-dimensional and productive character of this phenomenon. The further research and projects on shrinking cities were less devoted to its cultural and aesthetical side. They were mostly oriented towards the main causes and consequences of urban shrinkage, discussed within the discourses of economy, geography, demography, political science, and ecology. Nevertheless, the inspirational, artistic and creational aspect of urban shrinkage has not been lost. With the recent formation of the concept of shrinking cities, a new attention has been given to potential ways to overcome urban shrinkage. New conceptual proposals and attempts have also used culture, art, and creativity again, but in different format. They have tried to connect the previously acquired scientific knowledge with creative industries and applied arts, where they are seen not just as a creative moment, idea or artistic inspiration, but as a comprehensive, and usable “healing” approach to reinvigorate shrinking cities. The aim of this paper is to present ongoing efforts towards the link between urban shrinkage, inspiration, and creativity. It is done by comparing them with the position of this link from the beginnings of the concept of shrinking cities in the early 2000s. Therefore, it is a contribution to the development of the historic perspective of the aesthetical and artistic side of this concept, which certainly needs a more prominent role in the future urban development.