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The portrayal of the shrinkage phenomenon and the implications it has on urban planning processes in the context of Finland

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dc.date.accessioned 2022-06-21T08:43:29Z
dc.date.available 2022-06-21T08:43:29Z
dc.date.issued 2022-06-21
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/41915
dc.title The portrayal of the shrinkage phenomenon and the implications it has on urban planning processes in the context of Finland en
ethesis.faculty Matemaattis-luonnontieteellinen tiedekunta fi
ethesis.faculty Faculty of Science en
ethesis.faculty Matematisk-naturvetenskapliga fakulteten sv
ethesis.faculty.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/8d59209f-6614-4edd-9744-1ebdaf1d13ca
ethesis.university.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/50ae46d8-7ba9-4821-877c-c994c78b0d97
ethesis.university Helsingin yliopisto fi
ethesis.university University of Helsinki en
ethesis.university Helsingfors universitet sv
dct.creator Tuominen, Xiao Ling
dct.issued 2022 xx
dct.abstract The past decades have seen the emergence of the shrinkage phenomenon throughout cities leaving urban planners, communities and their administrations perplexed as to what to do next. The phenomenon encompasses complex, interconnected processes which are embedded in economic, demographic and structural changes. However, it is the population decline aspect that is often one of the telltale signs synonymous with shrinkage. Whilst shrinking cities are not something new, it has been gaining widespread attention as it becomes more prominent in urban areas and is no longer just an issue associated with rural areas. With Finland’s population forecast expected to decline in the coming decades, the relevance of the phenomenon and its urban planning implications will only become more prominent. Historically and still widely today, a city’s success has been connected to its ability to grow, resulting in the ideal that only growing cities are deemed to be successful. Urban planning transpired from the need to spatially manage growth and therefore, has its origins in facilitating for growth. Given the negative implications associated with the phenomenon and its impact on demographics, economy and the built environment of cities, it is often stigmatised and portrayed in a negative light. This research contributes to the knowledge on the shrinkage phenomenon in the context of Finnish urban planning. The study aims to explore the negative portrayal of the phenomenon through understanding the social and structural implications for cities and examining the implications this has on the actions that are being taken by cities to adapt to shrinkage. Specifically, the study involved interviews with urban planners, researchers and other relevant experts across Finland with knowledge on the shrinkage phenomenon and/or urban planning. The results of the study demonstrated that the negative connotation has led to many cities unwilling to openly accept the phenomenon. In turn, this has resulted in denial and the constant desire to strive for growth which has compromised the opportunities available to appropriately plan for the future. The influence of the political realm has shown to be a contributing factor to the stigma surrounding the phenomenon and further reinforced growth aspirations that are not reasonable for many shrinking cities. The prominence of the phenomenon has further fuelled the debate of whether old and current urban planning practices supporting and emphasising growth is the way forward and if existing planning systems are able to (un)plan for shrinkage. Ensuring the importance of quality of life indicators for residents within shrinking cities and the obligation for urban planners to accept shrinkage and plan the future of cities accordingly are key takeaways from the research. en
dct.subject (Urban) shrinkage
dct.subject shrinking cities
dct.subject portrayal
dct.subject adaption
dct.subject (de)growth
dct.subject quality of life
dct.subject urban planning
ethesis.isPublicationLicenseAccepted true
ethesis.language.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/languages/eng
ethesis.language englanti fi
ethesis.language English en
ethesis.language engelska sv
ethesis.thesistype pro gradu -tutkielmat fi
ethesis.thesistype master's thesis en
ethesis.thesistype pro gradu-avhandlingar sv
ethesis.thesistype.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/thesistypes/mastersthesis
dct.identifier.ethesis E-thesisID:3ab65e5f-4832-41f5-9f13-aa73c22e5709
dct.identifier.urn URN:NBN:fi:hulib-202206212907
ethesis.facultystudyline USP Peoples fi
ethesis.facultystudyline USP Peoples en
ethesis.facultystudyline USP Peoples sv
ethesis.facultystudyline.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/SH50_142
ethesis.mastersdegreeprogram Kaupunkitutkimuksen ja suunnittelun maisteriohjelma fi
ethesis.mastersdegreeprogram Master 's Programme in Urban Studies and Planning en
ethesis.mastersdegreeprogram Magisterprogrammet i urbana studier och planering sv
ethesis.mastersdegreeprogram.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/MH50_013

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