We tend to associate small town economic development with the decline of the rural United States--empty houses, shuttered shops and rusting factories. A common diagnosis of sluggish small town recovery is their lack of lifestyle amenities that attract new residents and businesses. Yet many small towns have shown progress and potential in recent years. This collection of recent articles by experts presents stories of small-town America's struggle and describes innovations and practices behind successful revivals.

What does the future hold for winter cities? Will the migration of people and jobs to the sunbelt prove to be an irreversible trend? This volume assesses the prospects of snowbelt cities. The contributors suggest that the future of older cities in winter climates will be influenced by: the revitalization of older industrial cities; the annexation in the growth of southern cities; the concept of 'liveable winter cities'; the evolution of transactional cities as a significant sector of the economy; and new design initiatives such as multibuilding, multiblock pedestrian walkways, and mass production of glass at a low cost.