A NEW REVIVAL
As the twentieth century approached, water ceased to be the primary means of transportation and power in the nation, and the center of population shifted west and south, eliminating Troy’s competitive advantage over other urban centers. Giant metropolitan areas like New York and Chicago began to eclipse the prototype modern city of Troy, and the Great Depression of the 1930s hit the region very hard indeed. World War II brought some revival as military orders brought new business, but the rush to the suburbs following the war contributed significantly to urban decline across the board, including in Troy.
Only in the last decade or so has that decline begun to abate, as Troy’s population has begun to level off slightly below fifty thousand, and as the rise of the “New Urbanism” movement has contributed to the revival of cities like Troy in many quarters of the country. An ideal candidate for such revival, with its charming architecture, unspoiled waterfront, attractive walkability, and alluring heritage, Troy is proving to be something of a poster child for this new chapter in the history of American cities.
< previous 1 2 3
In this article:
The rise and fall
Center of innovation
A new revival