Long Island Searching for Direction

Drawing from research published by the Long Island Index project, Tanvi Mishra reports on flagging development in the area. The ills of Long Island correlate with wider trends associated facing postindustrial areas and the suburbs built for mid-century workers.

The article discusses an exodus of manufacturing jobs, once plentiful in the aerospace and defense sector. Outsourcing and the westward migration of those industries has made it difficult for firms to stay put. Also on their way out are younger workers, discouraged by a lack of residential space and job prospects. An abundance of single-family homes, and little else, accounts for their dissatisfaction with Long Island's housing market.

On a hopeful note, potential fixes include installing denser, multi-family housing and incentivizing growth industries—such as healthcare—to set up shop. Implemented well, these solutions could add 73,000 new jobs by 2040 and revitalize the region.