Matthew E. Kahn - Unlocking the Potential of Post-Industrial Cities

Cities can be exciting and dynamic places. When people, goods, and ideas move within a small geographic area, transportation is less costly, and learning and trade are facilitated. Well-paid people living close together can create enough demand to support cultural and religious institutions, a variety of shops and restaurants, and professional sports teams. When the local economy is flourishing, tax revenues are high enough that local governments can implement policies to improve the quality of life and help their residents escape poverty.

Cities also have their downsides. In the early 20th century, US cities suffered from infectious disease outbreaks associated with dirty water. In 2020, the spread of the coronavirus across US cities highlighted one of the demons of density. Even during normal times, living and working at high density imposes costs. People in cities are more likely to be exposed to crime, pollution, and traffic. This book focuses on the challenges for the center city of a metropolitan area. We define a center city as the central urban political jurisdiction in a metropolitan area, such as that of the City of Philadelphia. Most center cities, viewed apart from their surrounding suburbs, have pockets of concentrated poverty where many people live in conditions that make it difficult for them to achieve their goals and for their children to achieve their full potential.

Over time, some cities become stronger while others grow weaker. Between 1970 and 2018, the population of the City of Las Vegas grew from 126,000 to 644,000; during those same years, Baltimore Citys population shrank from 906,000 to 603,000. Cities also differ with respect to their populations skill level and poverty rate. In 2010, relative to the national urban average, Baltimore residents were less likely to be college graduates and more likely to be living in poverty.

This book explores why six center cities stretching from the mid-Atlantic states to the central MidwestBaltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louishave lost population and seen their poverty rates rise over the past 50 years. More than 3.8 million people live in these cities. More than a quarter of their residents are poor, and more than half are African American. Why arent more people in these cities enjoying the American Dream of upward mobility? Why havent more companies moved to these cities or started up in them? Why have politicians, business interests, and community leaders been unsuccessful in rebuilding these cities after major industries left?

Our six cities are not homogenous; some have enjoyed greater success in fostering economic development, reducing violent crime, educating the next generation, and ameliorating poverty. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, among our set of six, have experienced the most progress, as synergies between their universities and medical centers have caused growth in high-tech jobs. Our six cities may not be the same, but they do have similar histories and a common set of challenges that we highlight throughout the book. They also offer case studies of places where people struggle to achieve the American Dream. The lessons learned from them can be applied to struggling neighborhoods in cities across America with high levels of violent crime, stagnant job growth, low educational attainment, and environmental challenges.

Our six cities are often portrayed as dangerous, dirty, poor, and corrupt shells of their former industrial glory. This coarse description simultaneously borders on caricature and contains elements of truth. What is the urban experience for the millions of people who call these cities home? What differences exist among the neighborhoods that compose these cities? Millions of people watched HBOs show