While cities in the "Rust Belt" have shown some signs of recovery, one worrying indicator is the large and growing distances between people and jobs. Clustering economic opportunity around job hubs could help.
Pointing to the spacial disconnect between residents and jobs in places like Cleveland, Peter Truog writes, "Are these cities really something to believe in? They may be—if we can collectively find a way to connect economic opportunity with historically isolated and disconnected populations. If we don't, our comeback banners will lie in tatters."
Inefficiencies and personal difficulties hamper economic recovery in a region with so-called "job sprawl." Truog suggests designated job hubs as a way to coordinate that recovery. "A key part of the job hub idea is that it's a clustering of business activity—as opposed to a single large employer. It boasts assets like existing infrastructure and utilities that are attractive to multiple kinds of businesses."
"Job hubs can help city and regional leaders decide where to make investments, so that a region can offer more of the kinds of properties businesses are seeking. Economic development organizations can work with transportation planners and transit agencies to prioritize highway projects and provide better transit service to job hubs."
FULL STORY: One Key to a Rust Belt Comeback: Job Hubs
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