The end of 2013 denotes an interesting interval because the downfall of manufacturing in the US is over. Real estate-based Sunbelt economies have already broken. And the cities that boomed because of the upsurge of education, technology, and finance have gotten so expensive and land-constrained that they’ve become almost zero-sum entities, where every new resident must displace an existing one.
We now to have an idea of what kind of post-2008 economic growth is healthy and sustainable, and what factors are desirable in cities over the next several decades (with Cleveland as an example) -
1) An educated workforce: home-grown, or the ability to attract it from elsewhere. Local universities. – University Circle in Cleveland
2) Access to global markets: world-class airports – Growth of Tech Industry
3) World-class amenities and events: professional sports, tourist attractions – Downtown Area
4) Transportation infrastructure: airports, highways, subways/rail, bike lanes, walkability – Opportunity Corridor
5) Available housing/land: cheap housing and/or the ability to build cheap housing – Affordable housing
Which brings us to the Rust Belt. Presently, it would not sound crazy to suggest that a city like Cleveland will thrive in the decades to come.
But, is it viable …show more content…
During all of these interactions, there came one key point that Cleveland wants to build more houses and create more jobs to attract population as the city is pretty much losing its population. I won’t dispute that Cleveland lost 17% of its population from 2000-2010. But losing a lot of lower-class residents on the outskirts of the city while gaining educated residents in downtown might mean the city has turned the corner. And we have to start digging in at that level if we’re to understand what’s really going on in our cities in the 21st
We now to have an idea of what kind of post-2008 economic growth is healthy and sustainable, and what factors are desirable in cities over the next several decades (with Cleveland as an example) -
1) An educated workforce: home-grown, or the ability to attract it from elsewhere. Local universities. – University Circle in Cleveland
2) Access to global markets: world-class airports – Growth of Tech Industry
3) World-class amenities and events: professional sports, tourist attractions – Downtown Area
4) Transportation infrastructure: airports, highways, subways/rail, bike lanes, walkability – Opportunity Corridor
5) Available housing/land: cheap housing and/or the ability to build cheap housing – Affordable housing
Which brings us to the Rust Belt. Presently, it would not sound crazy to suggest that a city like Cleveland will thrive in the decades to come.
But, is it viable …show more content…
During all of these interactions, there came one key point that Cleveland wants to build more houses and create more jobs to attract population as the city is pretty much losing its population. I won’t dispute that Cleveland lost 17% of its population from 2000-2010. But losing a lot of lower-class residents on the outskirts of the city while gaining educated residents in downtown might mean the city has turned the corner. And we have to start digging in at that level if we’re to understand what’s really going on in our cities in the 21st