Japan's small cities may face higher care burdens under the compact city policy

As populations decline and age across the developed world, compact city strategies, which oversee the consolidation of urban facilities and guide residents toward transit-served hubs, have become mainstream policies. Yet most evidence about their benefits comes from cities that are already compact. Far less is known about the social costs that may arise during the transition to compactness in the small and medium-sized cities (SMCs) most exposed to shrinkage.