Smart adaptation to urban shrinkage in North Gyeongsang province, South Korea: opportunities and obstacles for implementation

In shrinking cities, adaptive responses such as ‘smart shrinkage’ are regarded as a promising approach to address depopulation and the quality of life for remaining residents. While its validity gains recognition, the gap between theory and practice still exists. Empirical studies validating the theoretical concept are few, particularly in the context of Asia where urban shrinkage is rapidly occurring. This study identified key opportunities and obstacles for realizing adaptive responses in practice, using the case of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. The findings showed that its adaptive responses were complementary to pro-growth responses, strengthening regional relationships and shared infrastructure.