In Iowa, Small Towns With Declining Populations Learn To 'Shrink Smart'

Small towns across America have long wondered how to stop population loss, but lately, more have been turning to another way to cope with people leaving.

“Smart shrinkage” is used to maintain the quality of life after a city loses residents and businesses.

Researchers Kimberly Zarecor, professor of architecture at Iowa State University, and David Peters, associate professor of sociology at Iowa State University, measured quality of life in 99 communities across Iowa.

“Shrinking smart is where we look at communities that have had faster