Community image and public perception: Struggling toward unity in a growing midwestern city
Date
1998
Authors
Hudson, Mark L.
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Hamin, Elisabeth
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Abstract
The city of Marshalltown, Iowa is currently experiencing a significant amount of commercial and retail development along the Highway 30 and Highway 14 corridors. At the same time, a new plan has been created for complete revitalization of the historic central business district approximately three miles to the north. The questions arising out of the current situation are: can a city the size of Marshalltown support development of the suggested magnitude at two separate locations, and do city officials, city functionaries, and business leaders perceive or recognize any contradictions or conflicts between the two areas? I believe this research important because extensive development in a time of economic health may prove unsupportable at a time of economic downturn, particularly for a community struggling to overcome some severe economic misfortunes.
The participating parties, both public figures and private business persons, view the current activity as a positive for the community and appear to be enthusiastically supporting growth at any cost. Personally, I believe that the extent of growth in Marshalltown may prove problematic, and in the worst case, may prove unsupportable. The results of this study are based on information gained through personal interviews with policy makers, city functionaries (department heads), and community business persons as well as an economic analysis.
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