Mastering the metropolis through research and thought leadership.
Working Papers

“Shrinking Cities” Revisited

Working paper #711
Witold Rybczynski and Peter Linneman

In the Fall 1997 issue of the Wharton Real Estate Review, the authors proposed a unique solution to the problems faced by many American cities that had been steadily losing population over the previous forty years: consolidating sparsely populated neighborhoods, and even de-annexing selected districts. Between 1990 and 2009, large cities such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Baltimore, Detroit, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Toledo, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. suffered population losses. Although there is some evidence that Rustbelt cities are taking tentative steps implementing planned shrinkage, political and social barriers to strategies such as de-annexation continue to be formidable.

Download full paper · 1MB PDF


In This Section
Explore Topics

Affordable Housing Architecture Asia Borrowing Constraints Canada China Colombia Commercial Brokerage covid-19 CRE Credit Risk Transfers Debt Market Demographics Development e-Commerce Equity Market Ethnic Factors Europe Foreclosures Global Global Financial Crisis hospitality Housing & Residential Housing Supply India inflation Investing land use regulation Macroeconomics Microeconomics Mixed-Use Mobility Mortgage Rates Mortgages Multi-family Non-Traditional Mortgages office sector Political Risk Real Estate Investment Trusts Recession Rental Retail South America Sub-Prime Mortgages Sustainability United States Urban Urbanization work from home

arrow_drop_up