Midwest
Rust Belt Cities Shouldn't Demolish Their Way to the Future
In a piece for CityLab, Richey Pipparinen argues that trigger-happy city officials need to slow down their push to demolish homes.
Detroit Still a Long Way from Recovery
It's fun to write miracle comeback stories, but the epic of Detroit's resurgence has been exaggerated, according to an article in The Conversation.
Reinventing Des Moines
Fairly or unfairly, Des Moines has a solid reputation as one of the nation's least interesting cities. But unbeknownst to the rest of us, this quiet working town might become the Midwest's answer to Austin, Texas.
12 Maps to Explain the Midwest
Aaron Renn scours the Internet to find 12 maps that attempt to do the impossible: define the geographic and cultural expanse known as the American Midwest.
Midwest Passenger Rail Plan Advances
Ohio rail advocates received good news from the Federal Railroad Administration: The Buckeye State will be included in an FRA study to expand its now meager service, but support from Republican Gov. John Kasich is unlikely judging from his record.
Is 'Brain Drain' a Legitimate Problem?
According to analysts like Aaron Renn, the exodus of educated Millennials from what some perceive to be less-glamorous cities shouldn't signal impending doom. For one thing, brain drain might not be happening at all.
Peak Driving Record Shattered
So long 2007. Hello 2014. According to new DOT data, peak driving is no longer in the rear view mirror but ahead of us thanks to cheap gas getting even cheaper, the rebound effect, an improved economy, and warmer weather.
Sunshine State Overtakes Empire State as Third Most Populous State
William H. Frey, Brookings Institution demographer, writes on the latest Census Bureau demographic data. California and Texas remain number one and two respectively. New York had 19.7 million residents on July 1, 2014, Florida 19.9 million people.
What's Driving the Economic Turnaround in Youngstown and Canton, Ohio?
Youngstown had been one of those Rust Belt, "shrinking" cities long noted in Planetizen, but thanks in part to fracking and its location on the Utica shale formation, manufacturing has returned and unemployment has dropped by half since 2010.
$102 Million Brings Chicago-St. Louis High Speed Rail a Step Closer
A $102 million investment by Illinois along with federal funds from the Recovery Act will pay for double-tracking and a new rail bridge to enable 109 mph service on a key section of Amtrak's Chicago to St. Louis high speed rail corridor.
Economic Competitiveness of the Midwest Relies on Immigration Reform
Cities like St. Louis, where the 44,000 native-born Americans that left in the last decade have been replaced by 31,000 immigrants, offer a case study for why comprehensive immigration reform has a good chance of passing in divided Washington.
Bike-Share Spreads Across Sprawling Midwest
Bike-share is continuing its march towards world domination, with seemingly every large Midwestern American city now jumping on the bike lending bandwagon, reports Angie Schmitt.
Midwestern Drought Threatens the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River handles $7 billion in trade as one of the world's largest navigable inland waterways. A Midwestern drought has brought the river to water levels so low that they threaten to shut down shipping, reports John Schwartz.
Midwest Gets Taste Of High(er) Speed Rail
The speedometer on the Chicago to St. Louis train hit 110 mph - and stayed there for five minutes, but it was enough to elevate the spirits of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the other dignitaries on-board. Normal speeds top out at 79 mph.
What Will it Take to Grow the Silicon Prairie?
Businessmen and entrepreneurs want to build up new tech hubs in the middle of the U.S., but Midwestern humility and a lack of monetary drive hold them back.
New Republican Midwest Govs Not Of Same Mind On Rail Investments
While new Wisconsin and Ohio Republican governors are not supportive of high speed rail and my try to steer their state's high speed rail awards for road purposes, the new Republican governors of Iowa and Michigan appear to be Amtrak supporters.
Momentum Builds Toward Chicago to St. Louis HSR
The IL state senate's 51-2 passage of a bill creating the Illinois and Midwest High Speed Rail Commission on March 18 is a major step toward planning the 150+ mph train from Chicago to St. Louis.
HSR Funds Better Spent on Local Transit, Says Editorial
The St. Louis Post Dispatch laments the $1.1 billion the St.Louis to Chicago corridor received for high speed rail, wishing it had gone to worthier projects such as subsidizing local public transit.
As Auto Industry Stumbles, Renewables Boom in the Midwest
The ailing auto industry has many manufacturers in the Midwest transitioning to the renewable energy market, opening factories to build wind turbine parts and solar panels.
Midwest Expecting High Speed Rail Windfall From Stimulus
The Midwest has high hopes on capturing a big chunk of the federal stimulus money directed towards high speed rail projects.
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