Concept of shrinking city: Example of Turkey

The shrinkage of the provinces, which are considered as living organisms, is a phenomenon that occurs in some parts of the globalizing world. Immigration of people from provinces that could not absorb an economic crisis is not an unexpected phonemenon, as their basic priorities are to earn money for their living. With the effect of deindustrialization and globalization, while big cities are planned for better quality life in an increasingly competitive environment and better living standards, the provinces that are dependent on a single sector cannot continue being competitive nationally as well as internationally. Provinces that are loosing population in this process are considered shrinking. In order to stop this process, cities and their provinces implement many policies and projects. Within the scope of this thesis,firstly, the reasons of shrinking and the policies developed against shrinkage were investigated by examining the examples of shrinking cities, such as Detroit, Leipzig, Halle, and Makiivka. Afterwards, the provinces in the shrinking process and shrinkage dynamics in Turkey were investigated. As a result, the provinces of Ağrı, Ardahan,Çorum, Erzurum, Kars, Muş, Tokat, Tunceli, Yozgat and Zonguldak are considered shrinking, on the basis of the negative population growth between 2013-2020.According to the results of the correlation and regression analysis; the variables 2013 - 2020 cumulative population growth rate in Turkey, 2013-2017 IRE rank change (%), 2013 -2019 GDP per capita % change, 2013 - 2020 employment rate change, 2013 -2020 cumulative net migration rate and the change in the 65+ age dispersion between 2013-2020 are found out being the factors that cause shrinkage in Turkey. Keywords; globalization, deindustrialization, depopulation, urban shrinkage, Turkey