Altena’s reputation as a town that takes highly innovative actions to tackle long term decline has taken on a global dimension.
Professor Tatsuya Nishino specialises in the analysis of municipal responses to urban shrinkage and visited Altena this month to see first hand what can be done by small towns with limited resources. Japan’s population is ageing rapidly and the Japanese government is investing heavily in research on how the dual challenge of demographic change and urban shrinkage can best be addressed.
Professor Nishino is working alongside our Lead Expert Dr Hans Schlappa at Hertfordshire University in England to explore how European cities address the complex challenges arising from urban shrinkage. As an URBACT good practice city Altena caught Professor Nishino’s attention and he is hopeful to attend one of the deep dive workshops we have planned for this autumn. Professor Nishino would like to hear from other cities dealing with long term decline. Please mail:tan378@se.kanazawa-u.ac.jp