A Transition Management Approach for Shrinking Cities in the United States

Abstract

Transition Management is not a widely used approach for guiding urban development and change in the United States. However, the principles of Transition Management may prove valuable to planning and policymaking efforts in the US, particularly in the shrinking cities of the Rustbelt region. In these cities, population loss and deindustrialization pose daunting challenges, but also offer robust and multi-faceted opportunities to pursue more sustainable urban futures. Established planning practices in the United States are primarily geared toward managing growth. These practices are often ineffective in cities that are not growing. New, more flexible approaches to planning and community engagement are needed. The principles of Transition Management may prove especially relevant for shrinking cities in the US because the overarching idea that Transition Management is not about adapting, or correcting current conditions, but rather a focus on transformative change.