Abstract: By thoroughly exploring the trends of the housing sector growth in Copenhagen (Denmark) and Hangzhou (China) metropolitan areas and its social, economic and environmental consequences, the paper argues for a non-growth and even degrowth in the housing sector in the global North and the wealthy cities in China. A simple thought experiment of a non-growing housing sector is made in order to identify what policies should be in place for a socially sustainable economic degrowth. A non-growing housing sector needs the facilitation of urban planning. The implications of this shift from economic growth to economic degrowth on planning in relation to values, substances, process and spatial arrangements are briefly discussed.

Contribution to the 3rd International Degrowth Conference for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity in Venice in 2012.