Renewals and Reinventions: River Towns on the Mississippi River
Many Illinois cities and towns were located on rivers because of important transportation routes and manufacturing sites. Over time, economic shifts, transportation changes, river modifications and other factors have impacted these places. Loss of manufacturing jobs and new commercial developments in outlying areas present challenges for giving priority to older sections of river towns. Yet these towns have been using their waterfronts as they renew and/or reinvent their relationships with their rivers. While the focus will be on places along the Mississippi River, the framework for considering such places applies equally to cities on other rivers in our state.
Norman Moline holds a PhD from the University of Chicago and is the Edward Hamming Professor of Geography at Augustana College. His research interests include Historical Geography of the US, Urban Planning and Land Use Planning, as well as East Asian studies. He has published a book, book chapters, and articles about the historical geography of Illinois and the Midwest.
