"Nearly all the rich world’s industrial cities fell on hard times between 1950 and 1980," says The Economist. Why did some recover while others failed? A new paper argues that skilled workers and a diverse economy are key to overcoming adversity.
"The Motor City is an extreme example of a decline that has beset industrial cities across America’s Midwest and northern Europe," notes The Economist. "Nearly all the rich world’s industrial cities fell on hard times between 1950 and 1980, but some, including Boston, New York and London, rebounded soon after. Hardscrabble places like Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Liverpool have also enjoyed revivals."
"In a new paper [PDF] Gilles Duranton of the University of Pennsylvania and Diego Puga of the Centre for Monetary and Financial Studies in Madrid suggest that a pool of skilled workers and a diverse economy are among the best predictors of long-run success. Such characteristics offer cities the best hope of stumbling on new sources of increasing returns to scale."
FULL STORY: Down towns
Economic Recovery in Legacy Cities
Americans living in legacy cities face a unique set of challenges and opportunities in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Several local, state, and federal support strategies could aid these cities in recouping losses.
Where Population Declines but the Economy Grows
While the scale of Detroit's population loss is well known, the lesser known that the city's economy has grown steadily in recent decades. It's not alone.
Detroit Still Has More to Worry From Decline Than Gentrification
For every feel-good story about urban revitalization, or more problematic tale of gentrification, the experience in much of Detroit has more to do with decline.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.
Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.
When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions