Joel Kotkin: The Rise Of Second Tier Cities

"For the last half-century, if you wanted to be considered cosmopolitan, sophisticated and on the cutting edge, you had to live in New York or a handful of other "global cities" that set the agenda in business, culture, politics and finance. But those days are fading. The Big Apple may still be Capital of the World, but fewer and fewer people want to live there, or in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles or Chicago...Instead, they're heading to "second-tier" cities like Kansas City and Des Moines, which are enjoying a revival, giving the big boys a run for their money, and enriching the American urban landscape."