One of the first questions to be asked is whether the traditional downtown is obsolete. As columnist Russell Baker once asked, "Is Main Street Dead?"

Downtowns have suffered from decades of urban sprawl. This is represented by the concept of "Edge Cities." One of the pressures on downtowns is the competition from shopping centers and malls. An interesting example is the impact of Wal-Mart stores on downtowns in communities where they have located.

Downtowns have also suffered from city policies. This is seen in the regulatory controls of zoning.