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Two iconic rust-belt cities long past their prime, and poster children for post-industrial urban ills: Flint, Michigan, and Youngstown, Ohio. Both are trying to revitalize and reinvent themselves. Which city do you prefer, which (if any) could you see yourself living in, and which has more hope for stabilizing itself in the future?
Youngstown, Ohio:
Peak population (1950): 168,330 Population (2010): 66,982 Largest employer: Youngstown State University
Flint, MI:
Peak population (1960): 196,940 Population (2010): 102,434 Largest employer: General Motors
I have been to both cities and personally love both in spite of their problems. You can feel the history and past importance in the architecture and neighborhoods. Also, these cities are eerily quiet to walk around, giving them a kind of apocolyptic "ghost town" feel which is actually kind of cool. I also think both cities have done a great job of revitalizing their downtowns and restoring their classic downtown architecture.
I could see myself living in either city. I've been to Youngstown on many occasions. I don't recall ever driving through Flint, let alone visiting. The largest employer for each city stands out to me in terms of thinking about the future. GM is yesterday's economy. YSU is today's economy. I'd put my chips down on Youngstown.
I could see myself living in either city. I've been to Youngstown on many occasions. I don't recall ever driving through Flint, let alone visiting. The largest employer for each city stands out to me in terms of thinking about the future. GM is yesterday's economy. YSU is today's economy. I'd put my chips down on Youngstown.
Flint does have a large university presence downtown with the University of Michigan Flint campus.
Flint does have a large university presence downtown with the University of Michigan Flint campus.
True and it could be leveraged in the same way that YSU could. Youngstown is evolving into a college town. Having the university as the major employer will help move that along. The proximity to Pittsburgh (to the extent that Youngstown will leverage that advantage) will also provide a boost. But I don't know enough about Flint to say if that will or won't happen there.
Personally having been to both cities I think youngstown will comeback before flint. Youngstown is more of an independent city and flint is more tied with detroit almost a suburb so I don't think flint comes back unless detroit comes back.
Youngstown is more of an independent city and flint is more tied with detroit almost a suburb so I don't think flint comes back unless detroit comes back.
I would have to agree. Flint seems more like an exurb of Detroit, whereas Youngstown has its' own "aura".
Didn't Youngstown's mayor kind of start the trend (I forget the Urban Planning vernacular for it) of unforceably/forcing people out of their homes by changing zoning regulations like crazy and altering land uses around abondoned lots for whatever his administration saw best fit? From what I understand he was pretty aggressive with this, and achieved some national acclaim for increasing some of the property values throughout the city.
Personally having been to both cities I think youngstown will comeback before flint. Youngstown is more of an independent city and flint is more tied with detroit almost a suburb so I don't think flint comes back unless detroit comes back.
Although it could be argued that Youngstown is almost an exurb of both Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
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