Small Towns

In fact, says one planner, suburbs and exurbs can expect to see some of the biggest changes of all, at least from infrastructure and transportation funding.

Neal Pierce asks the question, 'Who's Best for Cities, McCain or Obama?' The evidence has been difficult to come by, but Pierce unearths some clues and makes some logical predictions.

Scenic resort towns are increasingly attracting older residents, creating a population boom that far surpasses growth rates in many cities and urban areas.

Hiking and cycling traffic on the Great Allegheny Passageway has brought jobs and prosperity to small towns along the route.

With few local job opportunities, residents in small towns have grown accustomed to long commutes to cities. But with high gas prices making those commutes unaffordable, some economists wonder how much longer small towns can retain their populations.

Exeter, California, may lie off the beaten path and be little-known outside the southern San Joaquin Valley. But its thriving, spotless downtown would be the envy of most cities.

Parkersburg, IA, reeling from a recent tornado that devastated the town, could look to nearby Charles City for a silver lining.

In the wake of Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's recent gaffe, New York Times blogger Timothy Egan sheds some light on the reality of rural America and its role in America's future.

Th small town of Golf, Illinois, is likely to stay that way because of barriers at its borders. Its residents couldn't be happier.

A proposed development in rural Southern California could erase one of the area's few remaining small towns, replacing it with a massive subdivision that would extend the sprawl of Los Angeles even farther north.