How to face the effects of economic change in cities in decline?

By Juan Carlos Santa Cruz Grau

In a context of restructuring of the global economic system, since decades cities has been assigned an essential role as the engine of economy and social change. This supposed function has been theorized in many different ways, for instance, by the urban regeneretion (Roberts & Sykes 2000), the redevelopment (Fox Gotham 2011) or the local development (Atkinson 2022). Whatever the form it takes, the growth tends to occur where local economies has been able to renew the economic base, after the de-localization and closure of industrial activities (Vicari Haddock 2004).

Many questions stay open. What happened in the backward areas? How to face the effects of economic change in cities in decline? Contexts that are articulated, in some way, in the “shadow” of the great economic processes taking place globally and that are perceived as a kind of “ballast” for the most vibrant and advances zones. For example, some ex- industrial and mining areas in Western Europe and the United States, or many ex-industrial cities in Eastern Europe.

Facing a global economic recession, in situations of long term stagnation or heavy decline, how could the local government influenced the effects of economic changes? One big problem in this way is, while stagnation is the result of overall economic changes (at the global and local level), their local effects are affected by local policies. Because the implementation of local policies could influence these effects, modifying, aggravating or mitigating them.

Another problem is, the biggest transformation in cities are linked to economic cycles, although these correlations are not linear, mechanical and their effects often appear contradictory. These effects do not occur immediately, but asynchronously and depend on contextual factors, often not considered by the predective models of urban planning.

One of the keys to face the current international situation, is to reflect and try to answer these questions, looking for creative and alternative ways to get out of the trap of decline. Understanding that: a) in the context of structural adjustment many cities and regions will have not a great resource availability; b) each specific situation must be addressed considering the particularities of each context.

Fotos:

1.- Berlin: Postdamer Platz. 2010. By Juan Carlos Santa Cruz G.
2.- Taranto: antigua granja productora aceite destruida para dar espacio a la siderurgica ILVA. 2010. By Juan Carlos Santa Cruz G.

Moderns ports but cities in decline? A contemporary paradox

by JcScG

Ports are key spaces for globalization, zones of interaction and exchange. Have been technified and modernized to respond to demands of global commerce, generating economic growth and increasing the GDP of some regions all over the world. Those cities are scenarios of the struggle between processes of global and local level. Analyzing the main ports in different regions a paradox is observed. Some ports are competitive world cities, node of the international economy, such as: New York, Hamburg or Singapore. Others instead, are located in backward zones of their own countries, for instance: Gioa Tauro (Calabria), Algeciras (Andalusia) or San Antonio (Chile).

In several cases the richness produced by ports hardly expands to other sectors of local society. Nowadays many competitive ports don’t generate urban development and don’t offer many jobs to the local society. In fact main ports (by containers traffic) in Italy and Chile, have unemployment rates twice the national average. It’s not coincidence that some competitive and technologically advanced ports, are surrounded by cities with large inequality, decline or serious social and economic problems.

Among many reasons, because the technologization of ports don’t need large volume of workforce  and often play their role behind the city. Usually, main ports are more important for the region related thereto, and not for the cities on their backs. That because, the aim of ports in a globalized economy is not developing the territory and the society that surrounds them, but landing, embarking and shipping products in the shortest possible time.