Housing Boom Revitalizing Small Town America

As more seniors and empty nesters seek to reclaim the downtown lifestyle of their youth, small towns across America are experiencing a second chance at economic vitality.

1 minute read

January 24, 2007, 6:00 AM PST

By Mike Lydon


"Urban blight long ago descended on Alton, as shops and factories closed. But the downtown experienced new activity in the 1970s, when dozens of antique shops opened in historic buildings, and again in the 1990s, when a casino was tied up to the riverbank, spurring more bars and restaurants. Most visitors today are day-trippers or come for the nightlife and gambling. The upstairs apartment at Tony's has been converted to a banquet room, and the restaurant has expanded into the old Young's Department Store.

Now people like the Vetimiglias are betting residential conversions will pump new life into old buildings in Alton, which is home to about 30,000 people. This spring they will move into Mississippi Landing, a 10-loft complex in the 1921 Mississippi Lime building, formerly the Illinois Terminal Railroad Building; one of their sons is buying a loft next door."

Sunday, January 21, 2007 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

3 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

4 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

5 hours ago - Bloomberg