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The rampant suburban sprawl, especially in cities in the southwest and sunbelt. This is a big problem considering that water shortages may be a problem given the fact that climate change is affecting temperatures and snowpack in the western part of the country greatly.
I think it depends on the region. Different regions face very, very different issues.
In the northeast probubly the gap between the have's and have's not's and affordability housing crisis. As Boston, Providence, NYC, DC become more gentrified where do the regular folks live.
In the great lakes states the economy and its over-reliance on manufacturing from Wisconsin to Ohio it seems like the economy is either growing very, very slowly or not at all. I think in alot of these states if they dont get the economic problems under control the amount of abandoned houses and neighborhoods will just keep increasing from already very high levels.
In a decade if the economic problems continue in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan it will be shocking the number of vacant housing units especially considering the fact that economic problems tend to breed violence, violence causes people to move and then those houses go down-hill very quickly with the weather conditions out there. I dont think people familiar with those states really know the extent of the blight and decay already facing the cities and how much of a struggle even if they were to have an economic boom suddenly to get them back on track.
Cities such as Cleveland, Buffalo, Detroit, Indianapolis, Toledo and Dayton have already massive amounts of vacant homes and buildings and the violence and economic crisis will cause these cities to continue to fall deeper and deeper into disrepair.
Also violent crime rates are soaring in many great lakes region cities at the current time.
In the south probubly sprawl as more people move to Georgia and North Carolina commute times will increase alot and with the gas prices and transportation people will become overly exhausted with those very long commute times. Although the south probubly with the exception of the Hurricane zone probubly has it one of the easiest in the nation.
In the plains states cities such as Des Moines, Omaha, Minneapolis/St. Paul will have high property tax rates as the biggest problem. These cities have been having major problems with tax bases not keeping up and property tax rates increasing the the point where retirees are moving in large numbers.
In the west probubly affordability is the biggest problem facing their cities out there. Western cities are becoming more and more oriented solely towards the rich. Even Portland and Phoenix traditionally cheap cities now have very, very high housing values.
As far as Texas cities goes probubly same as the plains states they have such a low tax base that high property taxes will cause lots of foreclosures and retirees to move. I wouldnt be suprised if older Texans start moving to Oklahoma and Missouri where the property tax rates are much, much lower.
Due to imminent economic collapse, most cities are going to be unpleasant to live in... at first.
After the collapse, it depends on the "wisdom" of the people.
Ten Major problems:
1. Usury - the fee, in money, for the use of money - must be recognized as the scam that it is. Usury is impossible to pay in a finite money token system. To illustrate, the ten trillion dollar national debt cannot be paid with Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) - since notes are debt. The amount of bullion legally required is 99.2 times the whole world's known above ground supply. For all practical purposes, the debt is impossible to pay. In addition, total aggregate obligations (creditors, debtors, account holders, stock holders) far exceeds the amount of FRNs in circulation. Most folks are going to be wiped out as the depression progresses. Paper wealth will disappear.
2. Socialism - or collective ownership - is unAmerican. The Social Security Act of 1935 created a "voluntary" entitlement system. But most Americans have been deliberately misled to believe it is mandatory for all to enroll and get "the number". That fraud and constructive fraud underscore the nefarious nature of SocSec. 99% of government's abusive power is derived from "our consent" via FICA / SocSec.
3. Public debt - pursuant to the 14th amendment, the public debt cannot be questioned - no matter how insane it is. That means until the 14th is repealed or amended, no viable solution is forthcoming from government. In 2007, Congress borrowed MORE than it paid in debt service (interest). Wait till 2008 is tallied up. 2009? OMG...!
4. End of the Oil Age - America's transportation industry as well as many other facets are dependent upon cheap and plentiful oil. That will have to change NOW. Before petroleum, America had railroads and water based transportation. After petroleum, America will have electrified railroads and water based transportation. Bailing out Big Auto is a complete waste of resources and time. Electric and hybrid autos are no solution, since they're dependent upon petroleum for lubrication, synthetic rubber tires, plastics, fabrics, and asphalt pavement.
5. Crime - in both public and private sectors - will have to be dealt with. No government can guarantee peace and security to everyone. Ultimately that is the responsibility of each adult. Society will have to adjust to a more restrictive regulated authoritarian police state or fully arm itself in order to defend against crime. Already, walled and gated communities, with checkpoints, are more attractive to those who are in fear from attack. During and shortly after the collapse, individual armament will be a popular response. As will fortified defensible enclaves. Keep your powder dry!
6, Power Sources - without cheap and plentiful petroleum, alternative sources of renewable power will be in demand. Living near hydroelectric plants will be a big plus, for electricity is the major servant of mankind. Biofuels will have to fill in as the chemical fuel of choice for air travel, and mechanized agriculture, formerly dependent upon petrochemicals.
7. Consolidation of population - with the end of oil, comes the end of sprawl. People will have to consolidate into villages, towns, and cities, at a much higher population density. Even family farms may have to evolve into the more worldwide pattern of farming villages surrounded by farmland, where the village farmers live together, and commute to their fields. Local food production is going to become very important, as transportation costs and availability drastically change. (Even if the wisest implement a massive rebuilding of electrified rail, it may take decades before it is finished).
8. Conservation - every aspect that is not optimized for minimal consumption for maximum benefit must be changed. Housing must be built to a higher performance (lower consumption of fuel for comfort).
9. Mixed use - the segregation of "residential" and "enterprise" is about to change. High population density and evolution to rail based mass transit is going to favor close proximity of homes and vocations. Based on past solutions, we may see ground level reserved for enterprises, retail sales, and light industry, while upper levels are reserved for apartments. This means that any urban planner should immediately reserve sufficient park space for children, wildlife, and natural habitat before haphazard construction squeezes into every available building site.
10. Disaster resistance - most urban areas are not disaster resistant. With a collapse of the usurer / socialist alliance, any area hit with a disaster will have no expectation of relief or remedy from government. Local preparation for disaster must be instituted. Food and other necessities must be stockpiled, where appropriate. (No more "just in time" delivery!) Depending on the major risk, shelter and transporation must be designed to deal with it. If in a flood plain, elevated or suspended rail might be preferable to at grade rail. Structures built to extend far above high water may be preferable to single level "Ranch" style. Local power distribution by suspended wires may need to be shifted to underground distribution, to minimize breakdowns from wind, ice, and other natural events.
Northeast- Growing gap between rich and poor as middle class gets priced out
Midwest- Attracting masses of people to move there in order to avoid urban decay
Southern- As gas prices raise they will need to use more public transportation
Southwest- Finding fresh water supplies to sustain a rapidly growing population
West- Illegal immigration
In true, urban cities, like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, etc., the main problem is and will be affordable housing. More specifically, it will be NIMBY-sim with regard to density.
As cities become more desirable due to increased transportation costs, more and more people will want to live in the urban core. The law of supply and demand says when many people want something in limited supply (urban housing), the price will go up. The only solution is to increase density (supply) in the inner city and the first ring suburbs. This is and will be met with tremendous resistance. Current owners believe that increased density will lower existing property values and adversly effect their quality of life.
2. Socialism - or collective ownership - is unAmerican. The Social Security Act of 1935 created a "voluntary" entitlement system. But most Americans have been deliberately misled to believe it is mandatory for all to enroll and get "the number". That fraud and constructive fraud underscore the nefarious nature of SocSec. 99% of government's abusive power is derived from "our consent" via FICA / SocSec.
I'm not a socialist, but I fail to see a good argument against it here. Perhaps you should instead point to the culture of entitlement and unemployment that exists among the urban poor? I'm a moderate Democrat, but do see that something needs to be done about this particular issue. Also, "Section 8" or "Housing Choice Vouchers" create specific urban ills as "white flight" moves from the urban core to the inner ring suburbs and outlying city neighborhoods. The destruction of concentrated public housing has had a positive impact on many central cities nationwide, but has also dispersed crime and poverty outward from the central cities, causing the destabilization of other affordable neighborhoods and suburbs. These are the urban issues that socialist policy has had the greatest impact on in recent years--not Social Security.
Many of your other points were quite insightful, however!
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