The role of Leipzig's narrative of shrinking

An important claim for the categorisation and study of shrinking cities is that the experience of governance across shrinking cities may offer an alternative to hegemonic discourses of growth. However, there are methodological problems associated with categorizing then researching shrinking cities. Two key problems are: first, the category of shrinkage hides a multiplicity of cause and effect and; second, the danger of fetishizing the city against the reality of broader urban drivers of change. It is argued that the use of planning/governance narratives is a means to addresses the methodological issues, as narratives focus us on cities as places of practice. We apply the approach to Leipzig, once shrinking but now one of Germany’s fastest growing cities. We conclude that while there was a significant attempt to articulate an alternative to the imperative to grow, it remained dominant suggesting the need to develop a taxonomy of shrinking cities where only some will offer an alternative vision of ‘development’.