Summary:

Shrinking cities/towns is a relatively new research problem. Depopulation refers to a growing number of cities/towns, especially in Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the United States. The continuing outflow of population causes many economic, social, infrastructural, environmental and planning problems. Until now don't exist proven, universal methods of preventing and counteraction shrinkage of the cities/towns. The article presents the results of a survey conducted among inhabitants of Görlitz and several neighboring villages concerning ruralization of the town outskirts proposed in the article. The results of the survey and conducted analyzes confirm the need to reduce the administrative borders of the shrinking town and reinstatement a status of rural area to the outskirts of the town - in the framework of the wider application of the ruralization concept as a method of counteracting the negative effects of the town shrinkage. The study is a continuation of earlier analyzis of the impact of reduction of the state border function on the development of border towns Zgorzelec and Görlitz and analyzis of cross-border spatial planning in these towns (Ładysz, 2005, 2008).