Can small-city downtowns remain viable? A national study of development issues and strategies

A healthy downtown is an essential element of the prosperity of most non-su burban small cities (25,000 to 50,000 population). Unfortunately, the profe ssional and scholarly literature has focused primarily on downtown developm ent in large cities. Based on a national survey of 57 small American cities and case studies of Auburn, New York; Banger, Maine; Carson City, Nevada; Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas; and Wausau, Wisconsin, this article explores the key problems confronting small-city downtowns and the revitalization strat egies employed to cry to overcome them. Significant differences between dow ntown development in small and large cities are presented throughout the ar ticle, as well as the importance of a sense of place.