Small town decline and survival: trends, causes and policy issues
This paper addresses the economic issues surrounding small town decline and government policy. The author discusses the perceived causes of the decline of small towns and examines the case for government assistance. He concludes that small town policy is only one aspect of broader regional policy, and that the real question for governments, is how to apportion economic resources between the cities and non-metropolitan areas. One answer is to focus on areas of economic growth both urban and rural, at the expense of declining communities.