The reversal of growth isn’t an issue for Melbourne – this sunbaked city, sluggishly pan-caking out into the Victorian hinterland. We seem destined to house five million by the close of the decade – and our problems centre on the provision of amenity and housing for a supersaturated population.
But this may be an aberrance – a characteristic shared by a mere handful of cities. For the majority of urban centres in the developed world, transition and transference are the watchwords – as industries die and disperse, and populations age, dwindle, and evacuate. For some cities, the issue may even be one of outright extinction.
…and growth is never ceaseless – there will come a time when Melbourne, too, faces these challenges.
This month at process, we discuss the shrinking city – inviting practitioners from both here, and abroad, to discuss their engagement with shrinking, dwindling, metamorphosing urban landscapes.

Speakers:
Marcus Westbury
Gretchen Wilkins