A New American Migration
As many of our nation’s largest metropolitan areas continue on a path toward being overcrowded, overdeveloped, and congested, citizens are losing patience and interest in navigating their daily lives around the challenges that are associated with these realities. People are tired of sitting in rush hour traffic, not only to get to work, but also in their attempts to maybe make it home to have dinner with their families. Even though the cultural, economic, and social options in large urban settings are enticing, they may not be enough to hold people in place. As real estate developers squeeze mixed-use, retail, commercial, and residential projects onto the smallest possible parcels of land, the effect has been a transformation of communities and neighborhoods that used to be livable and viable for the lifestyle patterns of people for generations. The sheer volume of traffic that has begun to overwhelm local streets is not something that has been a welcome sight by residents in these places. Interstate highway systems have also proved not to be sufficient to handle the commuting patterns of workers residing in the suburban towns that are connected to large metropolitan areas. The urban cities that lack a viable commuter rail system are simply going to lose out, because not only are people looking for ways to decrease their dependence on automobile driving and gasoline consumption, but they are also looking to save commuting time and gain a greater peace of mind as they move between home, work, and play.
The original migration of different demographic groups to the larger metro areas has provided enormous economic growth and activity, but there has been a simultaneous strain on the effectiveness of public services and the overall quality of life for many. It’s like a double-edged sword in a lot of ways because while the cities welcome the influx of revenues and economic opportunities for their business community, these same municipalities did not do a great job of planning and allocating resources in ways that accommodated the growth. The poor city planning, lack of foresight, and subsequent poor management of overstretched municipal services has led to overtaxed residents and insufficient services to these same taxpayers. As people have lost patience with an increasing tax burden and dwindling quality of city services, a real shift in the residential preferences of people is occurring. The flight of wealthier taxpayers from urban areas to suburban enclaves and towns is leaving behind a smaller segment of affluent taxpayers to shoulder the fiscal burden along with lower income and less upwardly mobile residents who are becoming the predominant class of urban residents. Unfortunately, what this does is leave an insurmountable financial burden on a group of people who surely cannot afford to finance the level of infrastructure upgrades needed in today’s economy or the previously expanded local city budgets. This reality will undoubtedly lead to insolvent municipalities and scaled down versions of the infrastructure and services that citizens had grown accustomed to.
The shift from the large, urban settings coincides with a growing attraction for the superregional cities that have developed over the past few decades from coast to coast. Families that are seeking the kinds of lifestyle choices that larger cities have offered them are now discovering that medium to large cities are a viable living solution for their needs. These superregional cities have carved out unique niches that feature diversity across their economic and commercial bases, improving school choices, diverse populations, and housing and entertainment options that appeal to upwardly mobile as well as more stable and mature family units. These growing metropolises are also proving to be better positioned to build light rail train systems and other transportation options that bode well for accommodating high levels of growth and migration. The consistent theme in these regional areas is the chance for a higher quality of living that is appealing for the work and leisure interests of a wide ranging population.
The original migration of different demographic groups to the larger metro areas has provided enormous economic growth and activity, but there has been a simultaneous strain on the effectiveness of public services and the overall quality of life for many. It’s like a double-edged sword in a lot of ways because while the cities welcome the influx of revenues and economic opportunities for their business community, these same municipalities did not do a great job of planning and allocating resources in ways that accommodated the growth. The poor city planning, lack of foresight, and subsequent poor management of overstretched municipal services has led to overtaxed residents and insufficient services to these same taxpayers. As people have lost patience with an increasing tax burden and dwindling quality of city services, a real shift in the residential preferences of people is occurring. The flight of wealthier taxpayers from urban areas to suburban enclaves and towns is leaving behind a smaller segment of affluent taxpayers to shoulder the fiscal burden along with lower income and less upwardly mobile residents who are becoming the predominant class of urban residents. Unfortunately, what this does is leave an insurmountable financial burden on a group of people who surely cannot afford to finance the level of infrastructure upgrades needed in today’s economy or the previously expanded local city budgets. This reality will undoubtedly lead to insolvent municipalities and scaled down versions of the infrastructure and services that citizens had grown accustomed to.
The shift from the large, urban settings coincides with a growing attraction for the superregional cities that have developed over the past few decades from coast to coast. Families that are seeking the kinds of lifestyle choices that larger cities have offered them are now discovering that medium to large cities are a viable living solution for their needs. These superregional cities have carved out unique niches that feature diversity across their economic and commercial bases, improving school choices, diverse populations, and housing and entertainment options that appeal to upwardly mobile as well as more stable and mature family units. These growing metropolises are also proving to be better positioned to build light rail train systems and other transportation options that bode well for accommodating high levels of growth and migration. The consistent theme in these regional areas is the chance for a higher quality of living that is appealing for the work and leisure interests of a wide ranging population.
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