Shrinkage is not a topic of much discussion in most OECD countries where the planning paradigm of growth has dominated the scene for many years. However, the debate has recently intensified in Germany, specially regarding its Eastern cities, posing new questions about the efficiency and sustainability of planning for urban growth in an era of substantial socio-demographic and environmental changes worldwide. While analysis of shrinking cities intensifies in North America, Western and Central Europe and parts of Asia, it is not yet a prominent national issue in Australia despite the critical impact that cities with shrinkage patterns have in regional Australia and in the development of resource intensive industries such as mining. This paper discusses some of the elements that throw light on the phenomenon of urban shrinkage and outlines shrinkage in Australia. Specifically shrinking of mining cities is discussed.

The State of Australian Cities (SOAC) national conferences have been held biennially since 2003 to support interdisciplinary policy-related urban research.

This paper was presented at SOAC 3 held in Adelaide from 28 to 30 November 2007.

SOAC 3 was jointly hosted by the University of South Australia, the University of Adelaide and Flinders University.

Themes and Key Persons

SOAC 3 focused on the contemporary form and structure of Australian cities.
The conference proceedings were grouped into six key sub-themes, each the focus of one of more conference sessions:

City Economy - economic change and labour market outcomes of globalisation, land use pressures, changing employment locations.

Social City – including population, migration, immigration, polarisation, equity and disadvantage, housing issues, recreation.

City Environment - sustainable development, management and performance, natural resource management, limits to growth, impacts of air, water, climate, energy consumption, natural resource uses, conservation, green space.

City Structures – the emerging morphology of the city – inner suburbs, middle suburbs, the CBD, outer suburbs and the urban-rural fringe, the city region.

City Governance – including taxation, provision of urban services, public policy formation, planning, urban government, citizenship and the democratic process.

City Infrastructure – transport, mobility, accessibility, communications and IT, and other urban infrastructure provision.

Paper Review Process

Conference papers published from SOAC 3 were produced through a process of integrated peer review.

There were originally 147 abstracts proposed, 143 were invited to submit papers and 107 papers were finally published.