Title An Analysis of the Characteristics of Urban Shrinkage in Busan, South Korea, within the Context of East Asian Urban Shrinkage
Authors 양스샹(Yang, Shi-Shang) ; 노지화(Roh, Ji-Hwa)
DOI https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2025.41.10.47
Page pp.47-58
ISSN 2733-6247
Keywords Urban Shrinkage; Comprehensive Measurement; Dynamic Adjustment
Abstract Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea, is currently undergoing a population decline. Traditional studies often rely on population as a single indicator to evaluate urban shrinkage, yet this phenomenon is inherently multi-dimensional. Accordingly, this study examines the 16 basic local governments under Busan Metropolitan City and establishes a comprehensive evaluation index system across three dimensions: population, economy, and space. The entropy method is applied to dynamically assign weights to each dimension, and local governments are ranked in stages. Based on the changes in rankings of each unit, four types of urban shrinkage are identified: continuous shrinkage, continuous expansion, mitigated shrinkage, and intensified shrinkage. From the distribution of these types, Busan demonstrates distinct characteristics of East Asian urban shrinkage, namely the coexistence of growth and decline. Specifically, except for Gangseo-gu and Gijang-gun, all other local governments exhibit varying forms of shrinkage. By analyzing the features of each type across the three dimensions and examining representative cases, this study proposes targeted urban development strategies to support local governments in formulating effective policy responses.