Throughout the Midwest, there are examples of thriving central business districts. University of Illinois Extension in partnership with the University of Illinois Department of Urban and Regional Planning conducted a literature review to identify common strategies and attributes of successful downtowns in small cities.
The team conducting the review was comprised of faculty advisor Dr. Mary Edwards, graduate research assistant Manish Singh, and Illinois Extension, Fulton-Mason-Peoria-Tazewell Unit community and economic development educator Kathleen Brown.