Contextualizing small towns – trends of demographic spatial development in Germany 1961–2018

Abstract

For the past ten years, the growth debate has been urban-centric, at least in Germany, while rural areas have been largely associated with depopulation. Despite their importance, small towns fall into a systematic perception gap in scientific and planning discourses. Against this background, this paper applies a threefold conceptualization of scalar relations paying analytical attention to (1) population trajectories, (2) the relation of spatial proximity and development, and (3) the influence of international migration on population development. Covering the period 1961-2018, this paper shows that despite a current demographic respite due to increased international migration, many small towns will continue to face the long-term consequences of population decline. This is accompanied by an increasing spatial differentiation of population growth rates. The relation between proximity to large centres and population growth is weakening, giving rise to other factors, e.g. residential amenities and competition between small and medium-sized towns. Based on this quantitative assessment, we conclude that small towns are the most dynamic settlement type in Germany and, at the same time, extremely heterogeneous in terms of trajectories and underlying driving factors. We also discuss conceptual aspects regarding process-understanding, terms, categories, and tools to analytically grasp the complexity of small towns.

Overcoming Socio-Economic Problems in Crisis Areas through Revitalization of Cittaslow Towns. Evidence from North-East Poland

“…Examples of places where poverty, spreading pathology and neglect in terms of infrastructure and housing are noticed can be found in most small Polish cities [18], but not exclusively. Problems in social, economic and environmental development occur in various regions of Europe and the world [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26].…”

“…When analyzing the entities of the national economy entered in the REGON register, 1.6% of which were in the analyzed area in 2019, 175 entities (1.53% of total entities) declared agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing as their type of activity and 34% (2558) and 76.13% (8716) of the entities in the register were classified as other activities. Companies from the agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing sectors dominated in Lubawa (26 entities), Gołdap (24) and Nowe Miasto Lubawskie (23). At the same time, almost all the cities of the Cittaslow network recorded a dynamic growth of companies from the industry and construction sector compared to 2015.…”

GOVERNING MIGRATION THROUGH SMALL TOWNS: Dispersal and the Production of Spaces of Transit

“…Therefore, immigration (and dispersal) does not solve structural and demographic problems. Rather, ‘many small towns continue to face the long‐term consequences of ageing, continued selective out‐migration, and declining birth rates’ (Wolff et al ., 2021: 212). This is because these areas often lack appropriate services, economic and educational opportunities, networks, well‐established co‐ethnic communities and adequate public transport, and are sites where migrants experience racism and harassment (e.g.…”

Population dynamics of the Hungarian small towns in the light of censuses

“…In CEE-countries, natural decrease, negative international migration balances since at least the mid-2000s, and fundamentally, migration towards big cities have simultaneously and significantly affected shrinkage, becoming a defining factor in the life of small towns (Bartosiewicz et al, 2019;Ljubenovic et al, 2022;Pirisi & Trócsányi, 2014). The most significant and painful factor of shrinkage is a type of emigration that primarily affects the younger population (Leibert, 2016;Makkai et al, 2017;Wolff et al, 2021), endangering the economic and social reproductive potential of small towns. It is crucial to emphasize that shrinkage is not merely a quantitative issue; it leads to the breakdown of connections, erosion of social capital, fundamentally questioning the elements that constitute small-town identity.…”