Home // Small Cities

These are smaller communities that typically range in population from a few thousand to perhaps 30,000. They are located apart from metropolitan areas and serve often as trading centers for agricultural, forestry, tourism or mining economies. Factories, hospitals, nursing homes and colleges are often important ingredients in town life. Density varies from moderate in downtown districts to sparse near the town edge.

Characteristics

• Buildings in downtown areas typically range from one to four stories, although hotels and apartment buildings are sometimes taller
• Streets are wide and sidewalks, where they exist, are narrow
• Surface parking lots have been carved into spaces where buildings once stood
• Small stores and other businesses typically occupy a main street, but newer businesses (car and implement dealerships, fast food, big box) have relocated to the outskirts
• Single-family homes predominate. Some are located within walking distance of the town center. Housing varies widely in size, age and style
• Court Houses, schools and post offices, once the main social gathering points of town life, have often relocated to the town edge, taking commerce and vitality with them
• Transit is not often an important part of life in small cities, except for senior citizens and college students
• These “small” cities vary greatly in size, affluence and the degree to which their downtowns remain viable

Challenges Facing Small Cities

Restoring vitality to old downtowns; attracting and retaining businesses and young families; offering around-town transportation options and creating better transportation links to major metro areas.