Small towns can meet fast-paced world's challenges

Washington, July 5 (ANI): A new book has said that small towns can meet the challenge of a fast-paced, globalized world.

The book, titled "Small Town Sustainability: Economic, Social, and Environmental Innovation," has been written by University Distinguished Professor and former College of Architecture and Urban Studies dean Paul L. Knox and Heike Mayer, associate professor of urban affairs and planning at the National Capital Region campus in Alexandria, Virginia.

In an era in which the individuality and vitality of small towns are under threat from globalization, and city planning discussions tend to center on topics such as metropolitan regions, megaregions, and global cities, Knox and Mayer reflect in this book on the potential of small towns.

They show how small towns can meet the challenge of a fast-paced, globalized world, and they use case studies to introduce movements, programs, and strategies capable of effectively promoting local cultures, traditions, identities, and sustainability.

Small towns often play critical roles in regional economic systems.

When small towns focus on their specific characteristics and take advantage of their opportunities, they can become stable niches within regional, national, and global economies and take on an important role in shaping a sustainable future.

The book has been published by Birkhauser in Basel, Switzerland. (ANI)