Habiter un centre-ville en déclin : réseaux de sociabilité et parcours résidentiels

This presentation investigates the impact of the deterioration of old buildings, on residential trajectories and inhabitants’ experiences, in the city centre of a medium-sized shrinking city. We rely on the concept of urban shrinkage, but also on previous studies which pointed out the lack of research on the social consequences of shrinkage. What impact does it have on the inhabitants’ daily life? We explored two main dimensions of the phenomenon: one of its most visible consequences, the deterioration of the built environment, and one of the most affected areas, city centres. This ethnographic study is based on interviews with residents, and the observation and analysis of the buildings. Our results highlighted the importance of sociability networks in residential trajectories. Through the analysis of two groups of inhabitants, we explain the importance of social capital as a resource to limit, at the individual level, how one is affected by the city's decline.