Center for the Small City
The Center for the Small City (CSC) at UW-Stevens Point researches topics pertaining to small cities, provides consultation services to local governments and community organizations, and collects and disseminates information related to micropolitan areas. The center’s purpose is to organize conferences and workshops on relevant topics for the university community, local government officials, community leaders, and the general public.
24th Conference on the Small City
Climate Change and the Small City: Domestic and International Perspectives
The conference theme for 2024 will be on Climate Change and the Small City: Domestic and International Perspectives. The 24th Conference on the Small City and Regional Community from October 24-26, 2024, will be conducted in person at the Winona State University in Winona, Minn. View program here.
The Conference welcomes various types of presentations (papers, roundtable discussions, workshops, posters, etc.) related to the theme. Policy makers, applied professionals, academic researchers, public officials, community advocates, and students are invited to participate.
Sustainable and Resilient Communities 2023-2024
The Center for the Small City and the Department of Geography and Geology within the College of Letters and Science hosted four public events on sustainability challenges in urban planning, climate resilience, natural resource management, and energy policy. Sustainable and Resilient Communities is sponsored by the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.
Biennial National Conference
The CSC sponsors a biennial national conference that brings academics, small city elected officials and staff together to discuss the development, needs, and problems affecting small cities. From these national conferences, the center publishes Proceedings: Small City and Regional Community, now available in 14 volumes.
The conference is held at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point every fourth year. In other years, the conference meets at different locations. In recent years, the conference has been held at the University of Louisville, Western Michigan University, and Illinois State. Each conference has a theme in addition to panels on a wide range of issues important to small cities.
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Our History
Established by UW-Stevens Point and the UW System in 1979, the Center for the Small City, a division within the College of Letters and Science, focuses on small cities, towns, and rural areas within micropolitan areas, (settlements with fewer than 50,000 people.)