Will Expenses in Coastal Cities Lead to Northeast Ohio's Resurgence?

Jay Miller was on hand to cover an event at the City Club of Cleveland, where author and advocate Joel Kotkin made the case for the potential resurgence of Northeast Ohio. Miller explains Kotkin's pitch: "His point was that metropolitan areas in the Great Lakes, like Cleveland, are beginning to have advantages that will make them increasingly more attractive places to live and work — especially for the so-called millennial generation born after about 1978, which is moving into adulthood and family formation."

Kotkin argued that as Millennials start settling down, they will leave cities like San Francisco and New York in pursuit of attractive, affordable housing options, such as those found in Northeast Ohio.

"Kotkin also said Northeast Ohio’s strong manufacturing base and its access to abundant fresh water will make the region more attractive and will help the strengthen the region’s economy, though population growth will not be significant," adds Miller.

Marcia Pledger was also present at the event to cover the remarks, noting Kotkin's take on the strengths of the Cleveland industrial base: "While core industries such as manufacturing may not ever return to its best years, Kotkin said embedded skills are crucial for other thriving industries including creating medical devices."