Small Cities

Cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 continue to see an influx of migrants lured by lower costs of living and high quality-of-life metrics.

November 9, 2021 - Governing

The question of how the pandemic and all of its corresponding crises will alter the future of cities and planning has persisted since March. This article rightfully focuses those large, challenging questions of the Legacy Cities of the United States.

September 24, 2020 - Economic Innovation Group

Small cities are an asset to the country, so politicians and thinkers on the left and right would do well to stop calling for their inhabitants to flee, Henry Garbar argues in Slate.

February 7, 2018 - Slate

The future of smaller cities could depend on figuring out a way to improve transit, perhaps not at the neighborhood or level, but at the corridor level.

August 16, 2017 - Itinerant Urbanist

What do Rochester, Cedar Rapids, Grand Rapids, and Chattanooga have to do with each other? According to Federal Reserve Banks, they are all examples of cities doing growth right.

May 7, 2017 - Chicago Federal Reserve

"Mini D.C.s" provide the successful examples of revitalized, walkable urban places, according to a recent trend piece in the Washington Post.

November 3, 2014 - The Washington Post

Nick Addamo discusses and outlines the plans of five small and mid-sized cities that are re-evaluating their waterfront and developing them to be more people-focused.

September 19, 2014 - Architizer

Joel Kotkin explores the small cities that are growing the fastest in the United States, and what factors lead to this growth.

September 4, 2014 - Forbes

A detailed case study of Kokomo, Indiana, which has achieved an impressive record of investments in streetscape and other capital projects, even as it struggled to deal with the effects of the recession.

September 1, 2014 - Urbanophile

Birmingham, Michigan; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Providence, Rhode Island; and others that adopted a new urban approach 15 or 20 years ago have transformed themselves.

May 18, 2014 - Better! Cities & Towns

Construction of a multi-use event arena in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, was supposed to be a boon for the city. But when events dried up, costs mounted and a big building became a big mistake.

May 19, 2011 - The New York Times

Joel Kotkin puts forward the premise that smaller urban regions are more nimble than big cities. Kotkin dubs these smaller cities like Austin, Columbus and Raleigh-Durham "efficient cities."

November 27, 2010 - New Geography

In 2009, smaller metro areas benefited from increased government spending while many of the country’s wealthiest areas saw incomes decrease.

October 11, 2010 - BusinessWeek

Small and mid-sized cities in Canada are taking innovative steps to revitalize their downtowns, and lure businesses and entrepreneurs back.

August 4, 2010 - The Globe and Mail

Smaller cities are showing signs of struggle, as the amount of college-educated residents continues to drop. Coupled with the economic recession, smaller cities seems to be taking a harder economic hit than their larger counterparts.

November 18, 2009 - Kansas City Star

Mayors from big cities are feeling shortchanged by the federal government, which they say is disproportionately handing out stimulus money to small and rural areas.

June 23, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

April 20, 2009 - Heike Mayer

Though typically centered in bigger cities, this piece from Business Week looks at the best small cities to locate startup businesses in every state.

March 28, 2009 - BusinessWeek

Catherine Tumber writes in defense of the small city, long neglected in policy and revitalization, but poised to be an excellent resource for sustainable living.

February 23, 2009 - Boston Review