Perspective
The Wrong Way to Grow a City
A lesson from Cleveland: To avoid deepening inequality, prepare for economic growth before it starts.
The story of Cleveland, as with many other Rust Belt cities, is a story of falling from grace. How is “grace” measured? Population rankings, mostly. Cleveland was America’s 5th biggest city in 1920, beneath only New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit. By 1950 it was 7th. By 1980, 20th. Then down to 45th by 2010. And so on.
So, Cleveland shrinks. Shrinking cities are not what successful cities “look” like. They look funny. Cleveland has a “man boobs” problem.