DPTV and the PBS Newshour recently hosted three nationwide experts on urban environments to discuss what the bankruptcy of Detroit means for other U.S. cities.
One interesting observation from the segment: Population growth is not necessarily a pre-requisite for economic recovery.
That could have implications for the urban farm movement in Detroit and elsewhere that requires land but not the population density that built these cities.
It certainly speaks in general to the opportunity to revitalize urban cores that no longer have the populations that once supported what is now excess capacity of sewers, roads and other infrastructure and city services.
The experts say that cities focusing on knowledge and energy sectors do well. They offer the seemingly contradictory advice of specializing on niches in the economy but also diversifying.
And here’s a significant trend that augers well for cities and not for sprawling suburbs: People are much less interested in driving to work while interest in public transit is on the increase. Both older and younger people are looking for transportation options of walkable, bikeable communities.
Another point that seems especially significant: The dichotomy of wealthy suburbs growing at the expense of a declining urban core appears to be shifting.
Economic pain and opportunity are more evident in different sectors of both cities and suburbs, these experts say. Formerly thriving suburbs have areas of economic struggle. Formerly decaying urban regions have pockets of economic growth.
Perhaps that can be spun as bad news for suburbs and good news for cities. But it also can be viewed as an equalization of opportunity and risk – which strikes me on balance as a good thing for a region as a whole.
The discussion features Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institution, Richard Florida of the University of Toronto and Kathryn Wylde of the Partnership for New York City. You can see it here: