What does it take to totally reposition the importance and status of a US city, either positive or negative? How does a city recreate itself, either positively or negatively, to make it happen?
What am I getting at?
No matter what changes occur, New York remains the nation's largest and most powerful city. LA and Chicago alone continue to be the other two truly global city, based on size and importance. SF continues to charm and attract. DC's governmental role remains basically the same. The good things that happen in Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Dallas, and Seattle don't separate them from each other. Boston still relies on eduation to be the drive for the econmy. Detroit continues to lose population and deals with issues of decline (despite valiant and positive efforts within the city). Minneapolis inches up, but still is groped with midwestern Milw, Cleve, StL, Indy, etc. All small moves in relationship of cities to each other and to the nation at large.
So what would it take to for a city to make a MAJOR move, upward or downward?
I'm talking about places like Las Vegas that used its unique gaming economy to reinvent itself into a major player in offering the trappings of the American good life. Or perhaps Orlando, where a mouse transformed a city. Or even Miami increasingly cashing in on its role as link between US and Latin America.
I don't believe steady growth in a variety of categories will change positoning, but I believe finding that one special thing that redefines a city very well might.
What I'm saying is that steady growth in a city like Atlanta in convention business and air travel or even Coca Cola will not move Atlanta away from the pack. Something like I described above for Vegas, Orlando, Miami could.
In the next 10 to 40 years, can you see any city repositioning itself...and what would be the significant positive or negative factor that might make it happen?> |
0 comments:
Post a Comment