I think we need to distinguish between small local business and large corporate business.

Rust belt ghost towns like Gary are what you get when you cater to large, corporate monopolies at the expense of local people and small businesses. You end up with a town that is wholly dependent on the corporation's existence for survival.

That is not a natural, sustainable way to cultivate a city.

On the other hand, small local commerce is the bread and butter of human civilization. Diverse and competitive business ecosystems are what make a town or city resilient to the fluxes of corporate ebbs and flows.

Corporate factory businesses are attracted to places where they can exploit cheap labor.

Small local business thrives in places where local PEOPLE have access to the knowledge and capital resources to cultivate their entrepreneurial ideas and endeavors.