Cities ‘On the Run’

A new economic and demographic structure driven by the economic recession since 2008 and population ageing has emerged in contemporary society. Cities are presumed to have developed a spatial structure following their economic needs and human behaviours. Consequently, this new structure will have spatial implications. For example, in Japan, the Ministry of Land and Infrastructure has estimated that the country will lose more than 60% of the already inhabited grid squares by 2050. This phenomenon, described as “Shrinking Cities”, collides with the idea of cities as static elements. Taking this into consideration, the aim of this paper is to describe the nature of the cities as an entity generated and shaped by social and economic patterns and to empirically explore the Senior Recreational Vehicles Community (SRVC) and seasonal/vacation RV parks (RVP), as an expression of ephemeral urban settlements. This analysis will be used as a “tool” for redefining the concept of space and infrastructures in a dynamic urban environment occupied by citizens who are entering a “post-human” condition to address the environmental, as well as social and economic challenges in a sustainable way.