Local initiatives as a driver for sustainability and liveability of shrinking towns: A case study from the “capital of pessimism” (Puolanka, northern Finland)

Keywords: Shrinking Towns, Northern Finland, Local Initiatives, Declining Infrastructure, Well-being, Rural Towns
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Friday
Session Start / End Time: 2/25/2022 09:40 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/25/2022 11:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 59

Abstract

Shrinking cities have become a worldwide phenomenon with persisting and long-term depopulation as their most distinctive feature. This uneven spatial development increases the number of deprived localities everywhere and turns it into a global challenge. The urban planning discourse on shrinking cities has long been driven by the goal of finding remedies to overcome the shrinkage. This presentation focuses on the case of the shrinking town of Puolanka in northern Finland, which has recently been branded as the “most pessimistic town” in the world and is characterised by a declining population, diminishing public services, loss of employment opportunities and insufficient transport connections, all of which impact local residents’ well-being and quality of life. The process of shrinkage has led to gaps on many levels with the consequence that local people create initiatives to fill the void and to obtain and enhance the quality of life in their home-town. Our empirically grounded research project “Enhancing liveability of small shrinking cities through co-creation” (Aalto University, Finland) demonstrates how local initiatives assist in building viable communities despite the lack of sufficient infrastructure. Moreover, the built environment of Puolanka struggles with increasing abandonment and decay and yet, people find ways to re-use and re-build places through local initiatives as a form of resilience in a declining community. The paper’s intention is to discuss how these local initiatives, such as the invention of a “pessimism house”, improve individual and collective well-being and therefore add to the debate about local communities’ resilience in shrinking cities.