Smart Growth and Smart Shrinkage: A Comparative Review for Advancing Urban Sustainability

Yang Yang, Zhe Dong, Bing-Bing Zhou () and Yang Liu
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Yang Yang: School of International Affairs and Public Administration, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
Zhe Dong: School of International Affairs and Public Administration, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
Bing-Bing Zhou: School of International Affairs and Public Administration, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
Yang Liu: School of International Affairs and Public Administration, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-21

Abstract: In the context of ongoing global urbanization, the disparity in urban development, marked by the dual phenomena of urban sprawl and urban shrinkage at the regional level, has become increasingly evident. In this vein, two land-related governance strategies—smart growth (SG) and smart shrinkage (SS)—emerge as potential remedies to these challenges, targeting urban expansion and shrinkage, respectively. This study bridges the gap in the fragmented discourse surrounding SG and SS by conducting a comprehensive comparative review on the respective literatures. Utilizing the Scopus database, our research employs trend analysis, text and topic mining, time node analysis, and regional analysis, augmented by qualitative reviews of seminal papers. The findings reveal a notable shift in research focus, with interest in SS surging around 2010 (the number of SS-related papers published after 2010 accounts for 92.3% of the total number of the entire study period) as attention to SG waned, suggesting an impending paradigm shift in urban sustainability. The analysis indicates that SS research lacks the disciplinary diversity, thematic breadth, and empirical depth of SG studies, underscoring a need for a more robust theoretical foundation to support urban sustainability. Furthermore, while both SG and SS derive from environmental science foundations, SG predominantly addresses the physical and landscape attributes of urban areas, whereas SS focuses more on socio-economic dimensions. Our findings point to an intrinsic link between SG and SS, which could lay the groundwork for their integration into a unified theoretical framework to better advance urban sustainability.

Keywords: smart growth; smart shrinkage; urban sustainability; spatial governance; comparative review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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