Abstract: Despite relatively mild effects of the world financial and economic crisis on Central and Eastern European cities, in the long run they face similar challenges that its western counterparts – falling birthrates and ageing populations, growing pressure of global economic competition that push for lower wages and increasing job insecurity as well as significant environmental challenges. The major difference between the West and the East is the stage of development. The CEE region is passing through specific moment in its history, two decades have passed since the after radical, “shock therapy” transformation towards neoliberal market economy. Lodz, a city described in a paper was one of the cities that became challenged by the transition. Once a second largest city in Poland with 750,000 inhabitants and a strong textile industry has suffered a decline of manufacturing. Whilst the plight of Lodz may seem similar to many other post industrial cities, the overall context of “chasing the West” by the CEE provokes the questions of necessity of starting debates on post-growth.