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Location: Metro Atlanta (Sandy Springs), by way of Macon, GA
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In my city (Macon, GA), we've gone from 120,000+ in 1970 to about 91,000 now, but about 40% of the people who write "Macon, GA" on their mail live in unincorporated areas. All they did was move across an invisible "city proper" line but still really live in Macon. The county we're in has actually grown, albeit slowly. Also, we have quite a few middle class black communities that all get called "bad areas" that are nothing like the lower income AA neighborhoods. I wonder how many cities that haven't annexed outlying areas like some others are in this "hopeless" category because of the "stats" and I wonder how the stats would look for some other cities if their city proper was more confined to the older neighborhoods as mines is? For example, We just consolidated with the county and next year our "stats" will look much different.
I thought this would be an interesting question for the forum.
What city do you think has the least chance of "turning around?" By which I mean, population declines are likely for decades into the future, and it's unlikely that any amenities will attract young urbanists to the location.
For the sake of brevity, let's limit it to cities of over 100,000, in order to ensure that some of the most common responses (Gary, East Saint Louis, Camden) don't crop up on the list.
My own guesses:
Buffalo/Rochester/Syracuse, NY - Upstate NY in general is a part of the country which is hurting, and all three of these cities have steadily lost population. Upstate NY's urban architecture is butt-ugly, which means it has a lot less character. There are no jobs to attract migrants. It's hard to see how a revitalization would start.
Rockford, IL
Montgomery, AL
Erie, PA
Flint, MI
Lansing, MI Detroit SMDH
University of Auburn is in Montgomery, I wouldn't consider it a hopeless city, also that city has seen steady and positive growth for its entire existence. The rest I agree with.
Detroit by a mile, until its pop falls below 100,000.
Lol, it will never fall that low. Downtown Detroit is actually relatively nice, miles ahead of some of these smaller and more troubled cities like Canton, Gary, East St. Louis, West Memphis, Flint, Eerie, or Youngsville.
University of Auburn is in Montgomery, I wouldn't consider it a hopeless city, also that city has seen steady and positive growth for its entire existence. The rest I agree with.
The Auburn in Montgomery is a regional campus. The flagship Auburn, the one where Cam Newton won a national title and Bruce Pearl coaches basketball, is 52 miles east in Auburn AL.
Rockford, IL
Montgomery, AL
Erie, PA
Flint, MI Lansing, MI
Detroit SMDH
Can't agree with the last two. Detroit's city services are improving, the demand to live in certain areas has went up so high that people are being priced out of it, and when the bankruptcy is over, I believe things will really start to pick up steam.
As for Lansing, really!?!? Out of all places???
I hope I can make a case for Flint in the very near future.
Detroit has more potential than a place like Memphis.
And even then, Memphis has a lot of potential as well.
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