SHRINKING MONTEVIDEO Urban contraction as a design challenge [by Isabella Forestieri, 2013]
Urbanization is often associated with continuous growth, yet many cities around the world are instead facing processes of shrinkage. Shrinking Montevideo questions the assumption of inevitable urban expansion, reading the city as a living organism shaped by social and anthropological dynamics. The research reframes urban contraction as a design opportunity to rethink livability, equity, and spatial strategies.
ContrACTIONS Cluj-Napoca: landscape urban strategies for a shrinking city [by Enrico Cigolotti, Guia Cimino, 2011/2012]
Addressing the condition of urban shrinkage, the project investigates vacancy and decline as structural phenomena affecting Cluj-Napoca and other European cities undergoing demographic and economic contraction. Through demographic analysis, economic projections, and comparative case studies, the research reframes decline as an opportunity for spatial reactivation. A series of low-budget, high-impact landscape interventions is proposed, focusing on vacant land, everyday practices, and collective use. Rather than large-scale regeneration, the project explores tactical actions capable of reshaping perception, social interaction, and the relationship between citizens and neglected urban spaces.
