Rust in My Blood

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How can shrinking cities help their residents thrive? Rust in My Blood: Planning for Urban Population Decline explores why America’s postindustrial cities have tended to focus on rebounding at all costs, and how they can make strategic decisions that prioritize quality of life over population growth instead. Combining personal storytelling with case studies, author Joanna Ganning—a planning professor and native of West Virginia— advances theory (including in some controversial areas), offers practical strategies for professionals, and meaningfully connects lived experiences with scholarship. Includes case studies of Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Gary, Indiana, and Charleston, West Virginia; personal vignettes emphasize why these cities matter beyond their postindustrial economies, especially to the people who live in and continue to love them. Written for general audiences, planning practitioners, and classroom use.

About the Author

Joanna Ganning is an associate professor in the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. She earned a PhD in Regional Planning at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses quantitatively on the economic development narratives of contemporary U.S. communities marginalized by location or population loss, with the goal of enhancing the quality of life for everyone.