As the automotive industry of Detroit once inherited the wealth and assets of Pittsburgh's steel industry, one writer argues Seattle has now inherited the wealth and assets of the Silicon Valley.
Jim Russell makes a sure-to-be-controversial argument: that Seattle is the next Detroit. Russell isn't making a prediction about Seattle's eventual decline—rather he's comparing the influence of Jeff Bezos in Seattle to the influence of Henry Ford in Detroit.
After pondering the question of the "next Detroit and Ford," Russell settles on "Seattle and Amazon." But it's not necessarily Seattle's population boom or Amazon's employment boom that inspires the comparison. Russell argues that Amazon Web Service sells computing power Ford once sold horsepower—thus altering the geography of the United States.
The history of industrial eras in the United States, according to the argument, is one of divergent wealth and shifting geographies:
When Pittsburgh was king, physical geography determined the economic geography. Wealth diverged. Detroit leading the way, automobiles obliterated that natural advantage. Silicon Valley enjoyed a different kind of divergent advantage. Stanford University innovation was unencumbered by legacy costs and development. California was the frontier, where the ambitious could escape the stifling ways of the old guard. First the integrated chip and then the microprocessor, Silicon Valley was the epicenter of the computing revolution. Wealth diverged. Seattle leading the way, the cloud is undermining historical happenstance. We are living in the world of Jeff Bezos right now.
FULL STORY: Seattle Is the Next Detroit
Seattle's Growth Through Human Capital
Despite what seemed to be a drained post-industrial condition in the 1970s, Seattle has been growing. This post looks into why.
Detroit Floods as the Pacific Northwest Bakes: It's Time to Shift the Conversation About Climate Change
The record-breaking heatwave in the Pacific Northwest has mostly been depicted in the media by kids running through fountains, but images of flooded highways and stranded vehicles in Detroit tell a more accurate story of climate change.
Economic Recovery in Legacy Cities
Americans living in legacy cities face a unique set of challenges and opportunities in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Several local, state, and federal support strategies could aid these cities in recouping losses.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service