Detroit

Life Cycle of Black Urban Neighborhoods

dfc-transit.png

Without a great deal of thought put into it, most urban observers can rattle off what can be considered a reasonable life cycle for neighborhoods – a growth phase, a stable peak or plateau, a period of decline, a phase of accelerated decline, then ultimately a chance at renewal.  read more »

Immersed in the Work of Art

two-workers-in-the-immersive-van-gogh.jpeg

This summer, five different immersive Van Gogh opportunities are circulating in dozens of cities around the world, including Detroit, Buenos Aires, and Perth, Australia.  read more »

New Rankings Disrespect Management of Companies in Flyover Country

top250-management-rankings.png

It’s no surprise that the latest “authoritative” ranking of management acumen at U.S. companies relegates those headquartered in Flyover Country mostly to the bottom of the list. But this list sure is frustrating – and wrong-headed. And its bias matters.  read more »

Status Quo: Coastal VC Hierarchy is Key to Michigan Startup

gates-vc-capital.jpg

The announcement that Our Next Energy just lined up $25 million in Series A financing had an unfortunate if familiar cast to it when the Michigan-based electric-vehicle technology outfit announced its latest venture funding a few weeks ago.  read more »

International Traffic Congestion Extinguished by Pandemic and Remote Work

DFW DTN.PNG

The 2020 TomTom Traffic Index reflects a huge drop in worldwide urban traffic congestion levels. Congestion levels (rated by the percentage of additional time required for auto travel during “rush hour”) dropped in 387 urban areas while increasing in only 13.  read more »

The Next Entrepreneurial Revolution

800px-Elkin_NC_Downtown.jpg

The coronavirus pandemic has altered the future of American business. The virus-driven disruption has proved more profound than anything imagined by Silicon Valley, costing more jobs than in any year since the Great Depression.  read more »

Census Bureau Releases 2020 City Population Estimates

Philly-City-Hall.jpg

The US Census Bureau has just released its July 1, 2020 population estimates for the approximately 19,500 incorporated municipalities (principally called cities, towns, villages). This article provides information on the 50 largest municipalities in the nation (Table below).  read more »

Combined Statistical Areas Lead Continuing Dispersion: 2010-2020

virginia-suburbs-of-washington-dc.jpg

A commenter asked about population trends in combined statistical areas (CSA) in response to my article “Demographic Implosion in the San Francisco Bay Area?, posted on May 18. This article deals with CSA population trends in the 88 CSAs with more than 500,000 population.  read more »

The Rust Belt Aesthetic

Detroit-northwest-area.jpg

Overseas competition. Automation replacing industrial labor. The inability to adapt to the global economy. Unions. Even the weather. Many reasons are given for why Rust Belt cities have lagged the rest of the nation in their recovery from their industrial heyday. But there’s one under-recognized but still consequential reason – the poor quality of the Rust Belt aesthetic. Rust Belt cities have never quite been known for their looks, and in an era when looks increasingly matter, they often fall short.  read more »