Small town blues and sponge cities

What can transport do to help the towns that orbit our big cities? And what will making cities ‘spongier’ mean for public transport?
 
Deansgate Castlefield tram stop Manchester. The wall on the stairway access has been planted creating a living wall
 
Big cities are cool these days – but smaller cities and towns are not. Not that long ago people couldn’t get away from big cities fast enough. Nobody lived in their city centres. They were dead after five. That g