Shrinkage happens … in small towns too!: Responding to de-population and loss of place in Susquehanna River Towns

The study of deindustrialization and de-population in post-industrial cities (that is, urban centers of 100 000+people) is the primary focus of research institutes at Kent State University, the University of California Berkeley, and international researchers assessing proposals to revitalize and redevelop disinvested urban environments. Although ‘de-population’ research is primarily focused on ‘cities’, many small towns serve as ‘urban centers’ for their rural surroundings and are also impacted by the factors contributing to ‘shrinking cities’, that is, de-population, globalization, suburbanization and deindustrialization (Oswalt, 2005). It is critical that current research also document the conditions of small town decline and disseminates those actions available to address shrinkage in rural centers. In the context of Pennsylvania's Middle Susquehanna River Valley (MSRV), three river towns are documented for their collaborative responses to economic and demographic losses. This study argues that for many shrinking towns, growth may be contingent on local and regional collaborations that leverage existing assets for sustainable development.