John Boone

As mega-cities continue to empty and major employers continue to look for affordable property/labor in rural America, small towns are poised to grow tremendously in the 21st Century. What growth strategies should small towns employ in this arms race for economic development? What role does planning and real estate play in all this? How can municipal leadership stimulate growth in their own towns?

96% of US cities have a population less than 50,000 people, meaning the large metro areas we typically associate with the "big city" are surprisingly rare. Where are these smaller cities? Why were they built there? How have they changed over time? This presentation quickly covers the background of why humans evolved to live in groups and then digs into the story of the American city.