A systematic review of shrinking cities literature: lessons from the past and directions for the future

This study sheds light on the state of knowledge on shrinking cities over the past four decades by identifying major thematic clusters, conceptual evolutions, and key players. The bibliometric analysis tools of VOSviewer and SciMAT were used to analyze 562 documents indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases. The publication trend was divided into three subperiods: the genesis period (1978–2004), the growth period (2004–2015), and the rapid growth period (2015–2021). The most significant conceptual evolution in the field occurred between 2004 and 2015. Three thematic clusters were identified: (1) urban policy and planning, (2) physical and ecological planning, and (3) demographic and regional development. This review highlights that issues related to governance and regional, physical, and ecological planning have attracted more attention. Moving beyond past research, we provide four promising areas for further research in shrinking city studies.